Since the design of wireless MIMO systems requires knowledge of the double-directional (i.e., directionally resolved at both link ends) channel characteristics, and 5G/6G use higher frequency bands, there is the need for double-directional measurements in the mmWave spectrum, along with channel sounders that can accurately perform such measurements. This paper introduces a novel channel sounding approach based on a redirecting rotating mirror arrangement (ReRoMA). The method is low-cost and flexible as it requires only a single radio frequency chain at each link end and performs mechanical beamsteering. However, in contrast to existing rotating-horn systems, it physically separates the signal generation/transmission and the beam steering components, resulting in orders-of-magnitude faster measurements. The paper outlines the fundamental concept, describes details of the implementation, and demonstrates its application and accuracy using a 60GHz prototype for measurements in static reference scenarios, as well as dynamic measurements. We illustrate the detected propagation paths using dynamic angular and delay power spectra and correlate these findings with the surrounding environmental structure. Locations of environmental objects are detected within the Fourier resolution determined by bandwidth and horn width, with no noticeable degradation due to the faster measurements.

Numerous sectors, including science, business, social sciences, humanities, and finance, heavily rely on data-driven methodologies. Organizations place a high priority on extracting pertinent insights and patterns from massive datasets produced by sensor data, financial transactions, and human behavior. Big data is the term for large, intricate databases that are too big for standard techniques to manage. Through the application of big data analytics technology, these databases may yield insightful information that improves decision-making and fosters innovation and operational efficiency. It is essential to compare technologies like as Hadoop, Spark, and Flink to ascertain which one best suit certain data characteristics and processing needs. A thorough comparison of big data analytics technologies is included in this paper. It showcases the most recent developments in big data analytics, such as cloud-based solutions, machine learning integration, real-time processing, and the capacity to handle a wider range of data types. To fully utilize their data, businesses must comprehend these technologies and how they are developing. Additionally, this paper offers suggestions to consider when selecting the most effective big data analytics tools. Keywords: Big Data, Big data Analytics, Big Data Analytics Technologies, Hadoop, Spark, Flink.

AIM To analyse the impact of age and body mass index (BMI) on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan results in postmenopausal women. METHODS The study included 100 postmenopausal women who underwent the DXA procedure, out of which 50 had a normal BMI and 50 were overweight/obese. Data that were examined included age, BMI, T-score of the lumbar region and the femoral neck, as well as bone mineral density (BMD). Correlation results were presented as Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). RESULTS The T2-score and BMD2 were significantly lower in older patients compared to younger ones (p=0.008 and p=0.007, respectively). Post hoc test results showed that the T2-score and BMD2 were significantly lower in patients ≥71 years of age compared to patients ≤59 years of age (p=0.006 and p=0.005, respectively). Also, T1- and T2-scores, as well as BMD1 and BMD2, were significantly higher in overweight/obese patients (p< 0.001 and p=0.003; p< 0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). The correlation between BMI and the T1-score was moderate (r=0.429), between BMI and the T2-score weak (r=0.348), between BMI and BMD1 moderate (r=0.431), and between BMI and BMD2 weak (r=0.344). CONCLUSION Our study showed that both age and BMI are important factors affecting DXA procedures and should be taken into account with each postmenopausal woman individually in everyday practice.

Background: Hemoplasmas represent the type of bacteria that infect red blood cells, potentially leading to various health impacts, including changes in blood parameters. The close interaction between hemoplasma and red blood cells results in cell damage through immune-related and other unspecified mechanisms. Even with a strong immune response and antibiotic treatment, affected animals are likely to remain chronic carriers once clinical symptoms have subsided. These microorganisms were previously documented in sheep and other small ruminants worldwide. Aim: Since there is a lack of research on the link between Mycoplasma infection and blood parameters, our aim was to investigate how Mycoplasma infection affects these blood parameters. In addition, the study conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina represents the first documented research of hemoplasma infection in goats within this region. Methods: In this research, 20 Alpine goats were sampled to investigate the presence of hemoplasma using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Sequences of the 16S rRNA gene fragments were identified subsequently. The effect of Mycoplasma ovis (M. ovis) infection was observed on the following hematological parameters: Red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, Reticulocyte count, and white blood cell (WBC). Effect on white blood cell differentiation, absolute white blood cell counts, platelet count, and mean platelet volume were also investigated. Results: PCR analysis confirmed the presence of Mycoplasma spp. in 7 out of the 20 blood samples. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that all positive samples were identified as M. ovis. The research findings highlighted potential effects on blood parameters in infected goats. Goats infected with M. ovis exhibited higher mean levels of HGB and HCT compared to uninfected goats. However, there were no statistically significant differences in RBC counts between infected and uninfected groups. The study also noted significantly higher WBC counts in goats without M. ovis infection. Conclusion: 35% of animals tested positive for M. ovis. Our study’s findings showed notable differences in hematological parameters between goats infected with M. ovis and those that were not infected.

AIM To determine the effects of high peri- and postoperative doses of vitamin C administration on severity of pain in postoperative period and functional outcome of the patients with trochanteric fracture treated with intramedullary nailing during a three-month follow-up. METHODS A prospective, randomized, pilot study included 56 patients who were randomly divided into vitamin C (intervention) and control groups. In the intervention group, patients received vitamin C perioperatively by an intravenous route for 2 days, and oral vitamin C for 38 days postoperatively. Baseline characteristics, postoperative metamizole consumption, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Harris Hip Score (HHS) value, and the prevalence of complications were evaluated in both groups. RESULTS No significant differences were noted between the groups regarding age, gender, length of hospitalization, and distribution in fracture type. Postoperative metamizole consumption was notably higher in the control group compared to the vitamin C group (p=0.006). Postoperative VAS score was higher in the control group (p< 0.05). No significant differences in HHS values were detected between the groups at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively (p=0.655 and p=0.755, respectively). The group variable significantly contributed to VAS score, and age and gender variables significantly contributed to HHS value. CONCLUSION A significant reduction of subjective pain levels and lower analgesic consumption was found in patients who received vitamin C, suggesting that it should be considered as an adjuvant agent for analgesia in patients with hip fracture.

The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, after five waves of COVID‐19 and 1 year after introduction of vaccination to better understand the true extent of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the population of the Republika Srpska and role of vaccination in achieving herd immunity.

Introduction Alcoholic liver disease represents a growing global pandemic, particularly among younger men, and is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Observing complications during the decompensation stage and monitoring disease progression dynamics using scoring systems are particularly important. Materials and methods This retrospective-prospective, descriptive, and analytical study included 123 male patients with a confirmed diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis, hospitalized at the Internal Medicine Clinic, University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The study period spanned from January 2023 to January 2025, with the note that patient selection and monitoring began much earlier, in June 2021. After hospitalization, patients were followed monthly through a program of outpatient control examinations, with disease outcomes recorded. The study included all male patients over 18 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and signed informed consent. Female patients and those with cirrhosis or other etiologies were excluded. For statistical data analysis, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used. The statistical analyses performed included median, standard deviation, analysis of variance, Student's t-test, chi-square test, and survival analysis. Results The mean age of the patients was 59.09±9.316 years. Most of them had anemia: 113 patients (91.86%) with decreased erythrocytes and 109 patients (88.62%) with decreased hemoglobin. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 104 patients (84.55%), while an increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was recorded in 68 patients (55.28%). Among biochemical parameters, the most common findings were increased bilirubin in 98 patients (79.67%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in 111 patients (90.24%), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in 109 patients (88.61%), and D-dimer in 110 patients (89.44%), while albumin levels were decreased in 107 patients (87.00%). Hyponatremia (decreased sodium) was observed in 63 patients (51.21%), and hypercalcemia (increased calcium) in 116 patients (94.30%). Jaundice was the most common external sign, present in 98 patients (79.67%), while ascites were noted in 86 patients (69.91%). Death during the first decompensation occurred in 31 patients (25.20%), of whom 17 (54.83%) died in the hospital. The leading cause of mortality is bleeding from esophageal varices. Conclusion Although a healthy liver performs over 200 distinct functions in the human body, a cirrhotic liver leads, one might say, to an even greater number of dysfunctions. This pathology is extremely complex, characterized by numerous complications and high treatment costs, which, despite all applied measures, do not ensure a favorable long-term prognosis without liver transplantation.

Trigonometry is an important part of secondary school mathematics, but it is usually challenging for students to understand and learn. Since trigonometry is learned and used at a university level in many fields, like physics or geodesy, it is important to have an insight into students’ trigonometry knowledge before the beginning of the university courses. This research aimed to develop a test in triangle and circle trigonometry, which can be used to test students’ prior knowledge of basic trigonometric concepts. A test with multiple-choice questions was developed based on content and learning outcomes from the secondary school curriculum. After a group of three experts evaluated the content validity of the test, the corrected version was given to 58 first-year students at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. After the test and item analysis, a final version of the test was made which can be used as a short initial test to measure students’ prior knowledge of trigonometry at the beginning of a university course.

As simulations play a crucial role for the development of modern electrical machines, it is very important to have good material models used in these simulations. Material models are dependent on certain material parameters which often cannot be measured directly and usually require a lot of computational resources to be determined. This paper investigates the application of neural networks and Gaussian processes for the identification of the magnetic permeability in electrical steel sheets. Through the manufacturing process of such steel sheets, different cutting techniques produce different material behaviour in the vicinity of the cutting edge. Therefore, the method requires the generation of datasets dependent on the degradation profile of the cut steel sheets. This is achieved through simulation and the constructed models can be reused without further simulation runs. This paper also uses an ensemble method to mitigate the issue of measurement noise. For the whole training and testing only simulation data is used as actual measurement data is not yet available.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with relapsing nature. Estimates are that approximately 2–3% of the world’s population suffers from this disease. More severe forms of psoriasis are conditions of high inflammation, which is confirmed by the clinical picture and numerous inflammatory parameters such as C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines and homocysteine, which vary with disease activity. The objective of this clinical study was to investigate the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide therapy on pro-inflammatory factors in the serum and the severity of the clinical picture of psoriasis in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on chronic metformin therapy. This randomized clinical study was conducted on 31 psoriatic patients with T2DM that were randomized into two groups: one that received semaglutide during the 12-week trial (n = 15), while the second was control (n = 16). The results demonstrated that the severity of the clinical picture of psoriasis, determined by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, was significantly better after the administration of semaglutide (the median baseline PASI score in patients treated with semaglutide was 21 (IQR = 19.8), while after 12 weeks of therapy the score was 10 (IQR = 6; p = 0.002). Also, the quality of life in the group of patients who received the drug, measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), improved significantly after 3 months (a median baseline DLQI score in the semaglutide group was 14 (IQR = 5) at the beginning of the study, and after 12 weeks of treatment the median DLQI score was 4 (IQR = 4; p = 0.002)). The use of semaglutide led to a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum (IL6), as well as a significant decrease in CRP values (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in the body mass index (BMI) value in the semaglutide-treated group was also identified, as well as a significant decrease in the level of low-density cholesterol (LDL) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, semaglutide, based on its systemic anti-inflammatory characteristics, could contribute to the treatment of psoriatic obese patients with T2DM.

AIM Moderate to severe asthma patients with sufficient and insufficient vitamin D serum level, respectively, were assessed with quality of life questionnaires before and after treatment with vitamin D added to their standard asthma treatment. METHODS Patients with moderate to severe asthma have been divided into two groups based on a serum level of vitamin D as sufficient or insufficient level of vitamin D, respectively. During 12 months, a total of 120 patients with sufficient level of vitamin D as well as 120 patients with insufficient level were given treatment with 2000 IU vitamin D for a three-month period. Quality of life of all patients was assessed by Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Quality of Life (AQOL) and the physician's assessment expressed through the Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness (GETE), which were performed before and after the treatment with Vitamin D. RESULTS Values of ACT and AQOL were higher after the treatment with vitamin D in both groups of patients. Values of GETE were lower after the treatment with vitamin D in both groups. All assessed components, psychological, physical, as well as the subjective feeling of control of the disease assessed by treating physicians, showed improvement after treatment. CONCLUSION Adding vitamin D in the treatment regimen of moderate to severe asthma patients improves quality of life and general asthma treatment effectiveness.

The genetic, morphological and taxonomic diversity of the genus Sorbus is due to homoploid and polyploid hybridisation, autopolyploidy and apomixis, which also influence the production and diversity of secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships and variations of flavonoids in terms of hybrid origin and ploidy level between the parental species and their hybrid derivatives. The sampling design included leaf material of the following Sorbus accessions from ten natural localities: parental taxa (di-, tri- and tetraploids of S. aria; diploid S. torminalis and S. aucuparia) and their di-, tri- and tetraploid hybrid derivatives from crosses of S. aria × S. torminalis (subg. Tormaria) as well as the tetraploid S. austriaca and S. bosniaca, which originate from crosses of S. aria × S. aucuparia (subg. Soraria). We analysed the flavonoid profiles from the leaf fractions by LC-MS. A total of 23 flavonoids were identified, including apigenin and luteolin derivatives, which distinguish the hybrid groups from each other. This profiling highlights the distinctiveness of the Tormaria and Soraria accessions and emphasises the potential of the subg. Tormaria for further research on bioactive compounds in biological studies.