Background Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were recommended to implement new health behaviors into their daily routines to prevent the viral spread. The aim of this study was to investigate whether specific health behaviors, such as wearing face masks, taking immunity boosters and visiting risky places were associated with a higher level of stress due to COVID-19 in the general adult population. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021 in eight randomly chosen cities of two Serbian speaking countries (Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska - Bosnia and Herzegovina). Participants filled a socio-epidemiologic questionnaire, COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results The study included 2,301 participants with an average age of 36.72 ± 13.82 years of whom 54.9% were female (p = 0.001). Most participants were healthy, highly educated, employed, married, non-smokers and consumed alcohol. The mean total CSS score was 32.7 ± 23.8 out of 144, suggesting a relatively low stress due to COVID-19. The mean PSS was 19.43 ± 5.05 out of 40 indicating slightly increased level of general stress. Participants who reported higher CSS scores were more likely to wear face masks, use immunity boosters, go to cafes and clubs, have chronic illnesses, have suspicious, but not proven contact with COVID-19 positive people, and use multiple sources of information about COVID-19. Conclusion Few participants experienced high levels of stress due to COVID-19. People who used face masks, immunity boosters and visited risky places reported a higher level of stress during the pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41043-025-00833-2.

Realistically modeling interactions between road users — like those between drivers or between drivers and pedestrians — within experimental settings come with pragmatic challenges. Due to practical constraints, research typically focuses on a limited subset of potential scenarios, raising questions about the scalability and generalizability of findings about interactions to untested scenarios. Here, we aim to tackle this by laying the methodological groundwork for defining representative scenarios for dyadic (two-actor) interactions that can be analyzed individually. This paper introduces a conceptual guide for operationalizing controlled dyadic traffic interaction studies, developed through extensive interdisciplinary brainstorming to bridge theoretical models and practical experimental design. It elucidates critical trade-offs in scenario selection, interaction approaches, measurement strategies, and timing coordination, thereby enhancing reproducibility and clarity for future traffic interaction research and streamlining the design process. The methodologies and insights we provide aim to enhance the accessibility and quality of traffic interaction research, offering a guide that aids researchers in setting up studies and ensures clarity and reproducibility in reporting, bridging the gap between theoretical traffic interaction models and practical applications in controlled experiments, thereby contributing to advancements in human factors research on traffic management and safety.

OBJECTIVE We describe a rare case of satisfactory renal allograft function without immunosuppressive therapy following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). CASE REPORT The patient was a 64-year-old male who had undergone a kidney transplant from a sibling donor in 2007. After 16 years, he required alloHSCT for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the same sibling serving as the donor for both transplants. HLA was a 50% match. Post-alloHSCT, immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued, and the renal allograft function remained stable. The patient later developed severe complications and succumbed to infection. Insights into the precise tolerance mechanisms were limited because laboratory evaluation for chimerism was not performed. CONCLUSION There is potential for immunosuppressive-free renal allograft function after alloHSCT. This case underscores the significant risk of infection-related mortality. To achieve the best outcome, rigorous patient selection, tailored conditioning regimens, robust infection prevention strategies, and the possibility of combined transplantation for carefully selected patients are needed.

Background/Objectives: Squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) presents a significant treatment challenge due to its poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. In many resource-limited countries, access to advanced molecular testing is often unavailable, making the identification of novel and reliable prognostic markers crucial for improving patient selection for systemic treatments. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of inflammatory biomarkers, including the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), in 134 patients diagnosed with SCC. Patients were stratified into groups based on optimal cut-off values determined by ROC analysis for each biomarker. Results: Elevated levels of the SII, NLR, and PLR were significantly associated with shorter overall survival in patients with SCC (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: These easily accessible and cost-effective laboratory parameters are particularly valuable in settings where molecular testing is not available, aiding in the identification of high-risk patients and optimizing treatment selection for chemotherapy.