Advancements in neurosurgical visualization have been made possible by the introduction of the operating microscope (OM) and the emergence of exoscopic technology (EX). Both OMs and EXs provide enhanced magnification and illumination, but they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. OMs provide high-quality magnification and illumination and have been used successfully in a variety of surgical procedures. They can be customized to fit the specific needs of the surgeon and are a well-established technology. However, they can be bulky, expensive, and cause discomfort during extended procedures. EXs provide high-definition magnification and illumination, improved depth perception and ergonomics, and can be cost-effective. They can be customized to fit the specific needs of the surgeon and can be made using locally available materials, reducing the need for expensive imports. However, they may require adjustment and have a learning curve for surgeons who are used to operating with OMs. Additionally, they may have limited availability in some healthcare settings. The choice between OMs and EXs will depend on the specific needs of the surgeon and the healthcare setting. The integration of 3D EX systems has revolutionized neurosurgery, offering improved depth perception and ergonomics. EX's cost-effectiveness addresses accessibility concerns, making it an attractive alternative, particularly for low and middle-income healthcare settings. The exoscope seems to be a safe alternative compared to an operative microscope for the most common brain and spinal procedures. The exoscope may help expand access to neurosurgical care and training worldwide. In conclusion, both technologies have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them will depend on the specific needs of the surgeon and the healthcare setting.

Next-generation mobile communication systems are planned to support millimeter Wave (mmWave) transmission in scenarios with high-mobility, such as in private industrial networks. To cope with propagation environments with unprecedented challenges, data-driven methodologies such as Machine Learning (ML) are expected to act as a fundamental tool for decision support in future mobile systems. However, high-quality measurement datasets need to be made available to the research community in order to develop and benchmark ML-based methodologies for next-generation wireless networks. We present a reliable testbed for collecting channel measurements at sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequencies. Further, we describe a rich dataset collected using the presented testbed. Our public dataset enables the development and testing of innovative ML-based channel simulators for both sub-6GHz and mmWave bands on real-world data. We conclude this paper by discussing promising experimental results on two illustrative ML tasks leveraging on our dataset, namely, channel impulse response forecasting and synthetic channel transfer function generation, upon which we propose future exploratory research directions. The original dataset employed in this work is available on IEEE DataPort (https://dx.doi.org/10.21227/3tpp-j394), and the code utilized in our numerical experiments is publicly accessible via CodeOcean (https://codeocean.com/capsule/9619772/tree).

INTRODUCTION Recent information on tortuosity in the prevertebral (V1) segment of the vertebral artery is based on case reports rather than systematic data on its presence, types, diameters, and sex- or left-right differences.

Alcohol drinks, especially wine, have been described since 6,000 B.C. For many years in modern medicine, wine in moderation has been considered healthy for cardiovascular prevention, i.e., recommended by nutrition committees. Some regional guidelines still recommend one to two standard drinks per day. By the very recent (January 2023), World Health Organization and Canadian Guidance on alcohol emphasize that any alcoholic drink is hazardous to the health and the safe amount is zero. The risk starts with every single drop. It was also nicely summarized in the manuscript “Alcohol-dose question and the weakest link in a chemical interplay” (Explor Cardiol. 2023;1:15–25. doi: 10.37349/ec.2023.00003) especially from the standpoint of a researcher in the cardiovascular arena. The newest recommendations are based on observational studies and their meta-analysis, therefore establishing associations, pointing out that alcohol may somewhat prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes type 2, but with a significant increase in non-cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, especially cancers. Previous recommendations, therefore, may be obsolete as they were based on studies where abstainers from alcoholic beverages had inherent higher risks. The current controversy with conflicting guidelines for alcoholic beverage consumption in the era of precision medicine may stimulate more fundamental investigations up to genetic ones and find the cause-effect relations. In the era of precision medicine, it may come closer to discovering the causes of cancers and many other diseases, enabling predictions of reactions to alcoholic beverages by each person, not just in the population.

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ABSTRACT Background The aim of this study was to provide an overview of age, sex and primary renal disease (PRD) distribution among first kidney transplant recipients across Europe. Method The European Renal Association (ERA) Registry database was used to obtain data on patients aged 20 years or older receiving their first kidney transplant between 2010 and 2019 from 12 European countries. The numbers and percentages of recipients in each age, sex and PRD group were calculated by country, donor type and year. Results In total, 99 543 adults received a first kidney transplant. Overall, 23% of the recipients were 65 years or older, 36% were female, and 21% had glomerulonephritis and 15% diabetes mellitus as PRD. Compared with deceased donor kidney transplant recipients, living donor kidney transplant recipients were less often 65 years or older (13% versus 26%), more often had glomerulonephritis (25% versus 20%) and less often diabetes mellitus (8% versus 17%) as PRD. We found large international differences, which were most prominent for age and PRD and less prominent for sex. Over time, the largest change in recipient characteristics was observed for the percentage of recipients aged 65 years or older, increasing from 18% in 2010 to 28% in 2019 for all countries combined with a similar trend in most countries. Conclusion We observed large differences for age and PRD distribution between recipients of living and deceased donor kidneys and between European countries. Over time, the percentage of older first kidney transplant recipients increased.

Wireless battery management systems (BMSs) are increasingly being considered for modern applications. The ever-increasing complexity and production costs of BMS modules and wired connections resulted in a necessity for new ideas and approaches. Despite this growing trend, there is a lack of generic solutions focused on battery cells’ sensor readout, where wireless communication allows for a more flexible and cost-efficient sensor installation in battery packs. Many wireless technologies, such as those that use the 2.4GHz frequency band, suffer from interference and other limitations. In this article, we present an alternative approach to communication in BMS that relies on the use of near field communication (NFC) technology for battery sensor readouts. As an answer to the rising concern over the counterfeited battery packs, we consider an authentication schema for battery pack validation. We further consider security measures for the processed and stored BMS status data. To show that a general BMS application can make use of our design, we implement a BMS demonstrator using the targeted components. We further test the demonstrator on the technical and functional level, by also performing evaluation on its performance, energy usage, and a security threat model.

Introduction: Prediabetes is a state of impaired glucose homeostasis manifested either by an increase in fasting glucose or a decrease in glucose tolerance. Prediabetes carries a high risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Aim: to determine the prevalence of prediabetes in pre-obese and obese individuals and the ten-year risk of developing T2DM in these subjects. Methods: The study was conducted in the family medicine clinics of the Educational Center for Family Medicine (ECFM) of the Banja Luka Health Center and the Tesliü Health Center. The study included pre-obese and obese patients older than 18 years of age, with a body mass index greater than 27.0 kg/m2. The research instrument was a questionnaire with sociodemographic data, a questionnaire for assessing the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 (FINDRISC), and patient anthropometric measurements, arterial blood pressure measurements and laboratory findings (fasting glucose, lipid status, HbA1c) were performed. Results: The research included 264 patients. The prevalence of prediabetes in obese patients is 28.03%, while in pre-obese it is 21.21%. Subjects with a larger waist circumference are more likely to have prediabetes. With increasing age, the chance of getting prediabetes increases, over 30% of obese and pre-obese people who are over 70 years old have prediabetes. In relation to gender, women have a higher chance of developing prediabetes. Data from the FINDRISC questionnaire showed that 1.52% of patients from the pre-obese category have a 50% chance of developing diabetes within ten years, while 13.6% of obese patients have a 50% chance of developing T2DM within ten years. Conclusion: The role of family medicine doctors is in early identification of patients with prediabetes and diabetes, reduction of risk factors and possibly pharmacological treatment of these patients.

Recent findings in action mechanics showing torques result from rates of variation in impulsive action motivated this more fundamental approach to estimate maximum power from wind turbines. Newton’s third law of equality of action and reaction provides a strictly causal mechanism of wind power from the deflection of wind momentum by twice its angle (θ) of incidence on rotor blades. The lateral reaction needed to conserve wind momentum provides the turning moment for the turbine rotors. This direct approach challenges the current continuum mechanism for generating power from flows of kinetic energy in wind passing through the areas swept by rotating blades. Action mechanics integrates the rates of impulsive wind action on turbine blades as torques (∫mrvdθ/dt ≡ mv2) exerted on rotor surfaces at decreasing radii. Windward torque (Tw) is estimated from rotor dimensions, the angle of wind incidence and radial action of wind impulses on the blade surfaces (also ∫mrvdθ/dt ≡ mv2). A leeward torque (Tb) for back reaction of turbine blades on air mimics drag exerted parallel to the plane of rotation of the blade. Net torque is then converted to potential power (Tw - Tb)Ω by the angular velocity (Ω) of the turbine rotors, a function of tip speed ratio to wind speed. New contributions from action mechanics for managing wind power include larger estimates of its possible magnitude by including vortical energy, much larger than the kinetic energy. Better predictions of limits to wind power can be made, by including control of optimal wind angle and blade length. An analysis of the equivalence of deflected air momentum on turbine blades or air foils for aircraft reveals that even the lifting action on air foils can be explained by the normal reaction to the momentum in an air stream, also deflected by an angle twice that (2θ) of incidence, validating application of action mechanics to airflight. A mechanism for release of vortical field energy from laminar flow of air in anticyclones is predicted in turbulent downstream wakes, possibly assisting achievement of maximum power output by wind farms. Significant heat release by downwind turbulence from vortical energy requires care for their location. Diligence demands that use of windfarms as major sources of renewable energy should minimize any environmental impacts, such as drying of landscapes.