Summary The rapid rise of 3D printing, both in industrial and home settings, presents emerging health and environmental risks. While 3D printing enhances sustainability by reducing waste and optimizing resource use, its impact on human health remains poorly understood. The use of metals and polymers linked to health risks, coupled with the release of inhalable particles and volatile organic compounds, raises concerns about respiratory and systemic effects. The absence of clear guidelines creates high public demand for information and limits safe implementation, particularly in schools and homes where millions of 3D printers are expected by 2030. Additionally, improper disposal of 3D printing polymer materials may exacerbate plastic pollution. This article proposes the perspective of a structured risk assessment framework set on particle emissions from industrial 3D printing. It will offer a practical tool to bridge current knowledge gaps and to inform safe practice and policy development, because immediate action is necessary to balance innovation with safety.

Evaluation of the performance of teleoperation systems plays an important role in assessing the efficacy and reliability of such systems. The evaluation is usually performed based on factors such as stability, transparency, and user satisfaction. However, very few studies have addressed the numerical evaluation of transparency in teleoperation systems so far. This letter presents a novel method to numerically assess the transparency of teleoperation systems based on representing recorded experimental data algebraically by fitting parametric curves using Elliptic Fourier Descriptors (EFD). The EFD coefficients are used to compute the Hybrid Matrix of the teleoperation system, which provides a metric for judging how transparent a teleoperation system is. This letter validates the proposed method using real experimental position and force data for teleoperation systems with and without time delay, as well as providing an analysis of the effect of the number of harmonics on the calculation of the Hybrid Matrix.

This study investigates the neural encoding of speech features in hearing aid users using electroencephalography (EEG) during a simulated cocktail party scenario. The objective was to investigate neural tracking of various acoustic and linguistic features and how hearing aid noise reduction influenced this tracking. The features analyzed included the acoustic envelope, phonetic features, word onset, and word surprisal, the latter derived from GPT-2. Temporal Response Functions (TRFs) were used to correlate these features with EEG signals, revealing how the brain tracks attended (target) versus unattended (masker) speech. TRFs were estimated using a boosting algorithm, with speech features as predictors and EEG signals as responses. Results revealed a significant distinction between target and masker speech. The acoustic envelope showed the strongest correlation with EEG responses. Distinct tracking patterns were observed: the acoustic envelope and phonetic features correlated with early processing stages, while word onset and word suprisal were linked to later stages. Noise reduction further influenced the tracking of these features. These findings improve our understanding of how hearing aid users process speech and provide insight for developing hearing aids that adapt to individual neural responses.

This study examines the agreement between health-related quality of life assessments in children with cerebral palsy and their mothers, analyzes the relationship between functional domains (daily activities, mobility, pain, fatigue, nutrition, communication) and psychosocial health of the child from the perspectives of both children and mothers, and investigates the impact of maternal education level and family socioeconomic status on the psychosocial health of children as assessed by their mothers.The study involved 61 children with cerebral palsy, aged 5 to 18 years, along with their mothers who were the primary caregivers. Data were collected using validated instruments, includingthe PedsQL 4.0 and PedsQL 3.0 questionnaires, completed by both the children and their mothers. Socioeconomic status was determined using the Hollingshead index, and statistical analysis—descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman’s correlation)—was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.The results showed significant differences in quality of life assessments between children and their mothers, particularly in the domains of daily activities, school activities, mobility, and balance. Daily activities, mobility, and nutrition were correlated with the psychosocial health of children according to the children’s self-reports, while, according to mothers’ assessments, the strongest correlations were observed for daily activities and nutrition. Socioeconomic status and maternal education level did not have a significant association with the psychosocial health of children in this sample. The findings highlight the importance of considering the child’s perspective and focusing interventions on daily functioning. Keywords:cerebral palsy, quality of life, psychosocial health, daily activities, socioeconomic status

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder face increased cardiovascular risk. This study examines shared genetic regions between post-traumatic stress disorder and 246 cardiovascular conditions across electronic health records, 82 cardiac imaging, and health behaviors defined by Life’s Essential 8. Post-traumatic stress disorder is genetically correlated with cardiovascular diagnoses in 33 regions, imaging traits in 4 regions, and health behaviors in 44 regions. Potentially shared causal variants between post-traumatic stress disorder and 17 cardiovascular conditions were observed in 11 regions. Subsequent observational analysis in AllofUS cohort showed post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with 13 diagnoses even after accounting for socioeconomic factors and depression. Genetically regulated proteome expression in brain and blood tissues identified 33 blood and 122 brain genes shared between the two conditions, revealing neuronal, immune, metabolic, and calcium-related mechanisms, with several genes as targets for existing drugs. These findings exhibit shared risk loci and genes are involved in tissue-specific mechanisms. Study shows PTSD predisposition shares distinct genes and genomic regions with several cardiovascular conditions. Here the findings reveal neuronal, immune, and metabolic pathways, and repurposed drug targets that further the understanding of the comorbidity.

This scientific research work investigates the social and legal protection of unaccompanied and separated children from the population of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the municipality of Velika Kladušafrom 2019 to 2022. The research is based on data collected from government records, reports from non-governmental organizations and interviews with key actors, including social workers, lawyers and representatives of civil society organizations. The research reveals that unaccompanied and separated children in Velika Kladuša face significant challenges in accessing social and legal protection. Many of these children experience trauma, violence and exploitation during the journey, but also in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and continue to face significant risks and vulnerabilities upon arrival. Despite the established legal and political frameworks for the protection of these children, the ability of institutions and services to respond to their needs is limited, and many children fall through gaps in the system.The research highlights the need for increased resources, funding and training for institutions and service providers working with unaccompanied and separated children. It also highlights the importance of a holistic, child-centred approach to social and legal protection, which takes into account the specific needs and vulnerabilities of this population. Ultimately, this research provides important insights and recommendations for improving the social and legal protection of unaccompanied and separated children in the municipality, and contributes to broader efforts to ensure the rights and well-being of all children on the move. Key words: unaccompanied and separated children, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, social and legal protection, risks, vulnerabilities, institutions, services, capacities, child-centred approach, resources, policy frameworks, recommendations.

Narrative review synthesizes the most current literature on the SARS-CoV-2 XEC variant, focusing on its genomic evolution, immune evasion characteristics, epidemiological dynamics, and public health implications. To achieve this, we conducted a structured search of the literature of peer-reviewed articles, preprints, and official surveillance data from 2023 to early 2025, prioritizing virological, clinical, and immunological reports related to XEC and its parent lineages. Defined by the distinctive spike protein mutations, T22N and Q493E, XEC exhibits modest reductions in neutralization in vitro, although current evidence suggests that mRNA booster vaccines, including those targeting JN.1 and KP.2, retain cross-protective efficacy against symptomatic and severe disease. The XEC strain of SARS-CoV-2 has drawn particular attention due to its increasing prevalence in multiple regions and its potential to displace other Omicron subvariants, although direct evidence of enhanced replicative fitness is currently lacking. Preliminary analyses also indicated that glycosylation changes at the N-terminal domain enhance infectivity and immunological evasion, which is expected to underpin the increasing prevalence of XEC. The XEC variant, while still emerging, is marked by a unique recombination pattern and a set of spike protein mutations (T22N and Q493E) that collectively demonstrate increased immune evasion potential and epidemiological expansion across Europe and North America. Current evidence does not conclusively associate XEC with greater disease severity, although additional research is required to determine its clinical relevance. Key knowledge gaps include the precise role of recombination events in XEC evolution and the duration of cross-protective T-cell responses. New research priorities include genomic surveillance in undersampled regions, updated vaccine formulations against novel spike epitopes, and long-term longitudinal studies to monitor post-acute sequelae. These efforts can be augmented by computational modeling and the One Health approach, which combines human and veterinary sciences. Recent computational findings (GISAID, 2024) point to the potential of XEC for further mutations in under-surveilled reservoirs, enhancing containment challenges and risks. Addressing the potential risks associated with the XEC variant is expected to benefit from interdisciplinary coordination, particularly in regions where genomic surveillance indicates a measurable increase in prevalence.

Background and objective Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global health issue that has seen a significant increase in prevalence worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases. Oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia has a central role in the development of insulin resistance, as well as micro- and macrovascular complications of diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the duration of T2DM on blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), renal function parameters, oxidative stress, and von Willebrand factor (vWf) activity in individuals with diabetes. Methodology A total of 135 participants from both genders with T2DM were included in this study. The participants were divided into three groups based on the duration of their disease: up to five years (46 participants), from 6-10 years (49 participants), and over 10 years (40 participants). The investigated parameters were as follows: fasting glucose, two-hour postprandial glucose, HbA1c, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and vWf activity. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to assess the normality of distribution. Differences between the groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), with appropriate post-hoc tests. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The average age of the participants was 60.86 ± 8.87 years, the average weight was 86 ± 14.6 kg, the average height was 168 ± 9.18 cm, the waist circumference was 99 ± 11.4 cm, the systolic blood pressure was 127 ± 15.6 mmHg, and the diastolic blood pressure was 77 ± 6.7 mmHg. The study revealed statistically significant differences between the groups (p<0.05) for the following parameters: two-hour postprandial glucose (p=0.001), HbA1c (p=0.048), GFR (p=0.038), and vWf activity (p=0.006). No statistical significance was found for TAC values (p>0.05). Conclusions Higher levels of vWf activity were found in people who had been treated for type 2 diabetes for more than 10 years. These findings indicate that the level of vWf activity in people with type 2 diabetes 10 years after the onset of the disease can be used as a marker of vascular pathology.

Autonomic imbalance is one of the major pathological disturbances in chronic heart failure (CHF). Additionally, enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation are considered to be the main contributors to the disease progression. A growing body of evidence suggests cholinergic stimulation as a potential therapeutic approach in CHF, since it corrects the autonomic imbalance and alters the inflammatory response via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Although previous research has provided some insights into the potential mechanisms behind these effects, there is a gap in knowledge regarding different cholinergic stimulation methods and their specific mechanisms of action. In the present study, an isoprenaline model (5 mg/kg/day s.c. for 7 days, followed by 4 weeks of CHF development) was used. Afterwards, rats received pyridostigmine (22 mg/kg/day in tap water for 14 days) or no treatment. Pyridostigmine treatment prevented the progression of CHF, decreasing chamber wall thinning (↑ PWDd, ↑ PWDs) and left ventricle dilatation (↓ LVIDd, ↓ LVIDs), thus improving cardiac contractile function (↑ EF). Additionally, pyridostigmine improved antioxidative status (↓ TBARS, ↓ NO2−; ↑ CAT, ↑ GSH) and significantly reduced cardiac fibrosis development, confirmed by pathohistological findings and biochemical marker reduction (↓ MMP2, ↓ MMP9). However, further investigations are needed to fully understand the exact cellular mechanisms involved in the CHF attenuation via pyridostigmine.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the third most common congenital anomaly and a significant public health concern. It is the predominant cause of chronic renal disease in pediatric populations and the principal reason for kidney replacement therapy in individuals under 20, as well as the fourth leading cause in adults. Five candidate genes, including EDA2R, PCDH9, and TRAF7 were identified as potential contributors to CAKUT. These genes had not been previously prioritized in CAKUT research, and our prior studies have demonstrated that the proteins encoded by these candidate genes display dysregulated expression across various CAKUT subgroups. Our research examined the expression patterns of EDA2R, PCDH9, and TRAF7 in yotari (Dab1−/−) mice at two embryonic stages (E13.5 and E15.5) and two postnatal stages (P4 and P14) to ascertain the potential correlation between Reelin–Dab1 signaling, previously linked to CAKUT phenotypes, and the aforementioned proteins through molecular and morphological analyses. All three observed proteins exhibited the highest area percentage at E13.5, with a trend of decline into postnatal stages, during which specific changes in protein expression were noted between the cortex and medulla of yotari mice compared to wild-type mice. For TRAF7, a statistically significant difference in area percentage at E13.5 was observed, indicating a link with Reelin–Dab1 signaling and a potentially critical role in the pathophysiology of CAKUT, also marked by our prior study.

PEComa (Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors) are a rare type of tumor composed of cells exhibiting characteristics of smooth muscle cells and melanocytes. They most commonly occur in the female genital system. This study is a narrative review based on the differential diagnosis of tumors in the female genital system, focusing on PEComa. The aim of the research is to analyze the immunohistochemical markers characteristic of PEComa in the female genital system and compare them with markers of tumors that may appear in the differential diagnosis. Specifically, the study examines epithelioid smooth muscle tumor (STUMP), malignant melanoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma (EC) and trophoblastic tumors of the placenta (PSTT). Comparison of immunohistochemical markers of PEComa with markers of other tumors revealed that: PEComas show overlap in positive staining with STUMP, but are distinguished by markers such as HMB45, PNL2, MiTF, and MelanA/MART1; PEComas share some melanocytic markers with malignant melanoma, but differ in the expression of myogenic markers and hormone receptors; compared to ASPS, PEComas share some positive staining but differ in marker expression and negative staining; they differ from EC by the expression of specific markers such as MiTF and PAX8; PSTT show specificity for markers of trophoblastic differentiation and implantation, while PEComas emphasize melanocytic and myogenic differentiation. The general conclusion is that an accurate diagnosis of PEComa in the female genital system can only be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach. Immunohistochemical evaluation serves as a helpful tool, but standard morphological staining remains the gold standard. Also, the advanced diagnostic techniques, particularly next-generation sequencing, hold promise for enhancing the understanding and management of mPEComas. By uncovering the genomic landscape and facilitating targeted therapies, these methodologies may lead to more effective treatment and improved outcomes. Keywords: female genital system, epithelioid smooth muscle tumor, malignant melanoma, endometrial carcinoma, trophoblastic tumor.

Due to an epidemic of risk factors, such as hypertension, and an increase in life expectancy, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has an overwhelming morbidity and mortality burden worldwide. Various treatment options are available to disrupt pathophysiological processes along the cardiovascular continuum by focusing on distinct regions of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). As a RAAS inhibition, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are recommended first-line treatments for hypertension and CVD. Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs prevent CVD by lowering blood pressure (BP). Furthermore, a number of studies have shown that RAAS blockade can lower cardiovascular risk in ways that go beyond what could be predicted from lowering blood pressure alone. However, the ARBs are not all equally effective. Telmisartan is a long-lasting ARB that effectively controls BP over the full 24-hour period. In high cardiovascular risk patients, telmisartan reduces cardiovascular events in a manner comparable to that of the ACE inhibitor ramipril beyond lowering blood pressure alone, but with better tolerability. Research points to possible benefits for adipose tissue activity, neurovascular function, and enhancements in glucose and lipid metabolism. According to several studies, telmisartan has partial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist activity, which improves insulin resistance in diabetic patients by modifying adipokine levels. The combination of telmisartan and indapamide as metabolically neutral diuretic has an additional positive antihypertensive as well as cardioprotective effects. In addition to reviewing current CVD management guidelines, this article will examine important clinical trial and clinical practice data that assess the role of telmisartan/indapamide in CVD. Keywords: arterial hypertension, angiotensin II receptor blocker, telmisartan, cardiovascular risk.