Background: The use of computer assisted surgery, navigation (NAV) in shoulder arthroplasty is still under discussion, regarding the clinical outcome and prosthesis longevity, especially when combining these factors with cost, time and surgeon’s experience. Beside the NAV, there has been in use patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) as an additional tool for more precise glenoid implant position. Surgical NAV and PSI for glenoid implant positioning in anatomic and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty are in last years under observation and discussion. Objective: To critically review and evaluate the current literature regarding the use of computer navigation and PSI in shoulder arthroplasty. Methods: Critical review of the existing literature. Results: Cost-effectiveness, prosthesis longevity and revision arthroplasty rate have not yet been proven clinically. Moreover, heterogeneity is high in studies that include different positioning systems (NAV, PSI and standard instrumentation). Heterogeneity is due to differences in surgical technique, implants, surgeon’s expertise, radiographic image analysis technique. Conclusion: The use of navigation systems and PSI should be clinically proven in the shoulder arthroplasty. Independent experts’ opinion and independent high level studies lack at the moment. There will be still a lot of talk regarding this topic in future.
Abstract Digital transformation has put tremendous pressure on employees to innovate with the use of information technology (IT). This paper explores the extent to which digital literacy and personal innovativeness contribute to individual’s innovative work behavior (IWB). To test our hypotheses, we apply double bootstrapping chained mediation analyses paired with relative importance analysis on a dataset collected from employees (N = 167) in a pharmaceutical company. The results showed the existence of a double-mediation chain whereby digital practices and attitude toward digitalized innovation mediate the positive relationship between digital literacy and IWB. Surprisingly, said chain was not supported for personally innovative individuals, indicating that digital literacy plays a relatively more important role in stimulating attitudes toward digitalized innovation and IWB. Our findings add further specificity to research on digital natives and may help organizations understand the role of digital literacy and personal innovativeness in organizationally-relevant outcomes, such as IWB.
Abstract The objective of the article is to investigate the effects of the stage of integration on convergence in the European Union. The relationships between the selected macro-economic variables and per capita GDP growth rate are econometrically tested for the period 2004–2018 and three sub-periods: the pre-crisis period 2004–2008, the crisis period 2009–2013, and the post-crisis period 2014–2018. Convergence is estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) semi-log regression based on cross-sectional data. The findings show that convergence rates range between 1.9 percent and 4.8 percent. The positive effects of deeper integration are identified, as well as the negative effects of the 2008/2009 crisis. The empirical results suggest that the selected variables have an impact on the per capita GDP growth rate in at least one analyzed period.
The thematic conception of the work consists of legal issues of special forms of control of state administrative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the state level, the level of federal units and districts). The paper analyzes the structure of bodies that perform this type of control, starting with the ombudsman institutions (Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ombudsman for Children of Republic of Srpska), and with special reference to the institutions of auditors (of which there are four in Bosnia and Herzegovina). The author will present the organization of these institutions, the election of their members (ombudsmen and auditors), the way they act, and the possibilities they have, as well as the legal mechanisms they can use to protect both citizens and the public interest.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial reuse. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. We come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a small country in western Balkans. Our Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sarajevo was opened in 1973, but from then on there was no kind of online teaching. So when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and when the university decided to stop all kinds of ‘inclass’ teaching (12 March 2020), we were faced with something new. We work at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, where we teach regular courses on ‘Drug Formulation’ and ‘Industrial Pharmacy’. Students take classes in these subjects in the seventh, eighth and ninth semesters. The exercises are practical and last several hours. On 25 March 2020, classes in the lecture hall were suspended until further notice by the decision of the Senate of the University of Sarajevo, and then we realised that we must embark on the adventure of organising online classes. We carried out short research on available online teaching platforms to find basic information on the platform’s capabilities, identify their advantages and disadvantages, and check their commercial prices. We studied the following platforms for online courses: Google Meet, Adobe Connect, Zoom and BigBlueButton, and the following platforms for online examinations: Exam. net, Virtualx, Google Forms, Skillsbook, Papershala, Edbase, Kaldin and TCExam. After examining the possibilities of the available online teaching platforms, we agreed that Zoom and Google Meet provide the best results for running online courses. Adobe Connect, Blackboard Collaborate and BigBlueButton work on the same principle, but professional versions of these platforms were quite unaffordable to us. The results for the online examination platforms are summarised in table 1. Given the security and price of the platforms, we concluded that Exam. net currently meets our criteria, but that it would be necessary to use two platforms simultaneously during the examination, one of which would allow an established video connection with students during the examination (eg, a combination of Exam. net and Zoom). Students accessed the examination platform from their laptop while simultaneously established a video connection with the teacher on their mobile device. At the end of the semester, we conducted an online survey in which 60 (70.93%) of 86 students participated, and for 98.4% of the students this was their first online learning experience. Although it is assumed that current students (digital natives) have adequate information and communications technology competence, they differ in their computer and information literacy as they come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Of the students, 21.3% had technical difficulties (ie, unstable connection). One of them said she/he has problems with misunderstanding from parents who required help with housework at the time of the lecture because she/he comes from the countryside. Of the students, 75% were satisfied with the conducted online classes at our department. Onethird found it easier to follow theoretical lectures online. Here are some comments from the students:
Background: EMVI is a direct invasion of a vein by a tumor. As a predictor of hematogenous metastasis, it is a poor prognostic factor in rectal cancer and can be accurately identified on MRI prior to surgical procedure. Objective: To evaluate the role of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (CET1WI) in addition to high-resolution T2-weighted imaging (HRT2WI) in assessing extramural venous invasion (EMVI) of rectal cancer. Methods: In all 195 patients with rectal cancer, HRT2WI and CET1WI sequences were produced within pre-operative MRI for the purpose of assessing for the presence of EMVI (mrEMVI). CET1WI sequences were produced following administration of Gadolinium contrast medium. mrEMVI assessment results were classified into two groups. Group A consisted of mrEMVI assessment results obtained using HRT2WI sequences only. Group B consisted of mrEMVI assessment results obtained using a combination of HRT2WI + CET1WI sequences. Results obtained for each group (A and B) were correlated with a histopathological finding (pEMVI) as a reference standard. Results: Out of a total of 195 rectal cancer patients, mrEMVI was positive in 41 (21%) patients in group A, and in 45 (23%) patients in group B. Histopathological finding demonstrated pEMVI in 54 (27.7%) patients. A statistical analysis of group A (HRT2WI sequences) resulted in 75.9% sensitivity to mrEMVI and 96.4% specificity, Positive Predictive Value of 89.1% and Negative Predictive Value of 91.2% (95% confidence interval (CI), p< 0.05). Statistical analysis of group B (HRT2WI + CET1WI sequences) resulted in 83.3% sensitivity to mrEMVI and 98.5% specificity, Positive Predictive Value of 89.1% and Negative Predictive Value of 91.2% (CI 95%, p< 0.05). Conclusion: T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (CET1WI) in addition to high-resolution T2-weighted imaging (HRT2WI) increased evaluation of extramural venous invasion (EMVI) of rectal cancer.
Abstract It is currently unknown how automated vehicle platoons will be perceived by other road users in their vicinity. This study explores how drivers of manually operated passenger cars interact with automated passenger car platoons while merging onto a highway, and how different inter-vehicular gaps between the platooning vehicles affect their experience and safety. The study was conducted in a driving simulator and involved 16 drivers of manually operated cars. Our results show that the drivers found the interactions mentally demanding, unsafe, and uncomfortable. They commonly expected that the platoon would adapt its behavior to accommodate a smooth merge. They also expressed a need for additional information about the platoon to easier anticipate its behavior and avoid cutting-in. This was, however, affected by the gap size; larger gaps (30 and 42.5 m) yielded better experience, more frequent cut-ins, and less crashes than the shorter gaps (15 and 22.5 m). A conclusion is that a short gap as well as external human–machine interfaces (eHMI) might be used to communicate the platoon’s intent to “stay together”, which in turn might prevent drivers from cutting-in. On the contrary, if the goal is to facilitate frequent, safe, and pleasant cut-ins, gaps larger than 22.5 m may be suitable. To thoroughly inform such design trade-offs, we urge for more research on this topic.
The study’s primary purpose was to explore the abrasive water jet (AWJ) cut machinability of stainless steel X5CrNi18-10 (1.4301). The study analyzed the effects of such process parameters as the traverse speed (TS), the depth of cut (DC), and the abrasive mass flow rate (AR) on the surface roughness (Ra) concerning the thickness of the workpiece. Three different thicknesses were cut under different conditions; the Ra was measured at the top, in the middle, and the bottom of the cut. Experimental results were used in the developed feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the Ra. The ANN’s model was validated using k-fold cross-validation. A lowest test root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.2084 was achieved. The results of the predicted Ra by the ANN model and the results of the experimental data were compared. Additionally, as TS and DC were recognized, analysis of variance at a 95% confidence level was used to determine the most significant factors. Consequently, the ANN input parameters were modified, resulting in improved prediction; results show that the proposed model could be a useful tool for optimizing AWJ cut process parameters for predicting Ra. Its main advantage is the reduced time needed for experimentation.
Synovitis of the knee synovium is proven to be a precursor of knee osteoarthritis (OA), leading to a radiologically advanced stage of the disease. This study was conducted to elucidate the expression pattern of different inflammatory factors—NF-kB, iNOS, and MMP-9 in a subpopulation of synovial cells. Thirty synovial membrane intra-operative biopsies of patients (ten controls, ten with early OA, and ten with advanced OA, according to the Kellgren–Lawrence radiological score) were immunohistochemically stained for NF-kB, iNOS, and MMP9, and for different cell markers for macrophages, fibroblasts, leukocytes, lymphocytes, blood vessel endothelial cells, and blood vessel smooth muscle cells. The total number of CD68+/NF-kB+ cells/mm2 in the intima of early OA patients (median = 2359) was significantly higher compared to the total number of vimentin+/Nf-kB+ cells/mm2 (median = 1321) and LCA+/NF-kB+ cells/mm2 (median = 64) (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The total number of LCA+/NF-kB+ cells/mm2 in the subintima of advanced OA patients (median = 2123) was significantly higher compared to the total number of vimentin+/NF-kB+ cells/mm2 (median = 14) and CD68+/NF-kB+ cells/mm2 (median = 29) (p < 0.0001). The total number of CD68+/iNOS+ cells/mm2 in the intima of both early and advanced OA patients was significantly higher compared to the total number of vimentin+/iNOS+ cells/mm2 and LCA+/iNOS+ cells/mm2 (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The total number of CD68+/MMP-9+ cells/mm2 in the intima of both early and advanced OA patients was significantly higher compared to the total number of vimentin+/MMP-9+ cells/mm2 and CD5+/MMP-9+ cells/mm2 (p < 0.0001). Macrophages may have a leading role in OA progression through the NF-kB production of inflammatory factors (iNOS and MMP-9) in the intima, except in advanced OA, where leukocytes could have a dominant role through NF-kB production in subintima. The blocking of macrophageal and leukocyte NF-kB expression is a possible therapeutic target as a disease modifying drug.
Background: Arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) presents maldevelopment of the brain’s vessels with a direct connection between cerebral arteries and veins. By current data, patients from Spetzler Ponce A (SP) are found to benefit from the treatment. Considering the outcome, most of SP C and some of the SP B are the most debatable. Objective: Arteriovenous malformation presents maldevelopment of the brain’s vessels with a consequent direct connection between cerebral arteries and veins. The annual risk of hemorrhage in adults is reported for 2-3 %. They usually present with unilateral headaches seizures and intracranial hemorrhage. By current data, patients from Spetzler Ponce A (SP) are found to benefit from the treatment. Considering the outcome, most of SP C and some of the SP B are the most debatable. Methods: The study included a cohort of bAVM patients referred to Fujita Health University Bantane Hotokukai Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan where the main author (AA) has completed an international cerebrovascular fellowship under the mentorship of Professor Yoko Kato. Japanese Stroke Guidelines (JSG) were used for the treatment decision. Patients were graded according to the Spetzler Ponce (SP) system. Considering American Heart Association criteria (AHA), embolization was used as a part of multimodal treatment. Intraoperative microscopic video tools included Indocyanine green ICG, FLOW 800 and dual image video angiography DIVA. Clinical outcomes were measured using Modified Ranking Score (mRs). Results: A total of eleven patients with brain bAVM were studied with a median age of 32 years [IQR = 22-52]. There were ten patients presented with supratentorial and a single patient with infratentorial AVM. Patients were graded according to the Spetzler Ponce (SP) system. There were eight patients in SP A (72,7%), one in group B (9 %) while the rest of them were in C (18 %). Two patients had associated aneurysms that required treatment. The median size of the AVM nidus was 3,50 cm [IQR= 2-5]. Deep venous drainage was found in six patients while three were located in eloquent zones. Clinical outcomes were considered good by mRs <2 in eight patients, seven from the surgically treated group (72,7 % respectively). Surgery median length time was 427, 5 minutes; [IQR =320 - 463] with complete AVM resection in all patients and no mortality recorded in this cohort with the median follow up of 39,5 months [IQR = 19-59]. Conclusion: Ideal management of bAVM is still controversial. Those complex vascular lesions require multimodal treatment in a majority of cases in highly specialized centers. In SP A patients, surgery provides the best results with a positive outcome and a small number of complications. With the improvement of endovascular feeder occlusion SP B patients become prone to a more positive outcome. Nowadays, intraoperative microscopic tools such as FLOW 800, ICG and DIVA are irreplaceable while improving safety to deal with bAVM. For SP C patients, a combination of endovascular and stereotactic radiosurgery was found to be a good option in the present time.
Abstract Ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) is one of the three additional heating schemes to be deployed on ITER. Its two antenna arrays, installed on the outboard midplane, will deliver 20 MW of RF power in the 40–55 MHz frequency range. The plasma-facing component of the antenna assembly is the Faraday screen, comprising beryllium (Be) tile armoured, actively cooled bars located only ~1 cm radially behind the innermost point of the shaped Be first wall panels (FWPs). As such they are in close proximity to the scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma and it is important to assess the maximum heat loads that the screen bars may experience during high power ITER operation. This paper provides a detailed assessment of these loads using the new 3D field line tracing and power deposition framework SMITER (Kos et al., 2019). The focus is on the H-mode, burning plasma scenario, taking into account both plasma heat loading (including average loading due to mitigated Type I ELMs) and the loads due to photonic impact (assessed with the optical ray-tracing package Raysect (Meakins and Carr, 2017)) from power radiated in the core obtained from integrated JINTRAC simulations. Calculations are also performed to assess the minimum allowed antenna to magnetic separatrix distances, for cases in which closer approach may be required to improve RF coupling.
The processes of salinisation and alkalinisation of soil that caused the formation of different types of saline (halomorphic) soils are characteristic of the northern part of Serbia — the area of Vojvodina. These soils are characterized by poor physical and chemical properties due to a high content of salt and/or adsorbed Na+ ions because of which are being used to a limited extent in agricultural production, and more as pastures. From the aspect of pedogenetic conditions, loess deposits and alluvial terraces of large rivers (Danube, Sava and Tisza) as aeolian-glacial sediments are the most widespread parent rock on which saline soils were formed. In addition, arid climate including geomorphological, hydrological and hydro-geochemical conditions were the main factors of the formation of saline areas of Vojvodina. These processes can also occur as a result of the poor irrigation. The increase in the average annual and summer air temperature during the period 1981–2017 compared to 1961−1990 was recorded as well as more inequality in the precipitation regime in spatial distribution and increased evapotranspiration. Under such conditions the areas of saline soils will be certainly further expanding. According to the results of previous pedological research, saline soils cover about 10% of the total soil surface of Vojvodina. In the last few decades the extensive research has been conducted on the process of soil salinisation in the area of Vojvodina including qualitative and quantitative composition of salt in various systematic soil units. They have shown the possibility of transforming saline soils into productive soils through the application of complex land reclamation measures which require substantial financial and long-term time investments.
The most recent development in the underlying QUIC transport protocol has revived the interest in HTTP over QUIC (HTTP/3) as a communication protocol solution in cloud and edge computing. This development is notable especially given the rise in implementations of IoT edge/cloud continuum, a new computing paradigm that extends the cloud computing IoT via edge computing systems. In IoT cloud/edge continuum, benchmarking performance of the communication protocol of choice is critical. We focus for the first time on experimental benchmarking of HTTP/3 performance in an IoT cloud/edge continuum system. To benchmark the performance in terms of scalability and latency, we first implement HTTP/3 from a set of non-standardized open-source libraries, - which is challenge, and use the implementation in two main IoT scenarios: edge computing only (IoT devices running HTTP/3 clients and edge devices running an HTTP/3 server), and cloud/edge continuum (based on Google Firebase). Experimental results show that latency and scalability remain a challenge for HTTP/3, but its appeal also remains, in its wide adoption, embedded security and compatibility with existing networked systems.
This study was conducted with the aim of developing fruit spirits by utilizing old (autochthonous) apple and pear cultivars that can be attractive to both consumers and producers. Consumers of spirits could enjoy the unique flavor, and producers could gain an opportunity for brand development. In total, eight old apple cultivars (Sarija, Žuja, Samoniklica, Prijedorska zelenika, Bobovec, Masnjača, Lijepocvjetka, and Šarenika) and three pear cultivars (Budaljača, Krakača, and Kalićanka) from Bosnia and Herzegovina were used for the spirits production and for characterizing the flavor of distillates. Golden Delicious was used as a representative of commercial apple cultivar. The aroma profile was conducted through the identification of minor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the sensory perception of spirits. Analysis of the VOCs was performed by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) techniques after enrichment via solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Sensory evaluation was performed by 12 trained panelists. Overall, 35 minor volatile compounds were found in spirits: 13 esters, 7 alcohols, 6 acids, 5 terpenes, and 4 aldehydes. Significant differences were detected in the distribution and quantity of the VOCs, which were fruit cultivar-dependent. Spirits made from Šarenika apple cultivar showed the largest amount of all acids, especially short- and medium-chain fatty acids; however, this richness was not correlated with pleasant sensory attributes. Spirits obtained from Prijedorska zelenika and Masnjača apple cultivars had the best sensory attributes. Budeljača and Krakača pears are promising cultivars as flavoring in spirits production.
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