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Psihometrična validacija Epworthove lestvice zaspanosti za otroke in mladostnike (ESS-CHAD) v Sloveniji : praktične implikacije v raziskovalnem in kliničnem okolju
No full textIntroduction: The aim of this study was to provide a suitable instrument for the assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Slovenian children and adolescents by translating the ESS-CHAD and psychometrically validating its Slovenian version (ESS-CHAD-SI).
Methods: The ESS-CHAD was translated and back-translated following established cross-cultural adaptation guidelines, and content validity was assessed by eleven experts from relevant clinical and research disciplines. A nationwide sample of 3,314 adolescents (≈52% females), with an overall mean age of 15.4 1.7 years, completed the questionnaire. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s α and Guttman’s λ2, and construct validity was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.
Results: All items met the predefined thresholds for content relevance, while clarity indices were acceptable for the majority of items. Factor analyses indicated that a two-factor model provided a better fit to the data than the original unidimensional structure, distinguishing between passive sleepiness and more clinically concerning manifestations of sleepiness. The ESS-CHAD-SI demonstrated adequate internal consistency.
Conclusions: The ESS-CHAD-SI is a reliable, valid, and culturally adapted instrument for assessing excessive daytime sleepiness in Slovenian adolescents. The identified two-factor structure enhances its clinical and public health relevance by enabling differentiation between sleepiness related to modifiable sleep behaviors and potentially pathological somnolence. The scale is suitable for use in school-based screening, clinical practice, and epidemiological research.Uvod: Namen študije je bil zagotoviti ustrezen instrument za ocenjevanje čezmerne dnevne zaspanosti (EDS) pri slovenskih otrocih in mladostnikih s prevodom vprašalnika ESS-CHAD ter psihometrično validacijo njegove slovenske različice (ESS-CHAD-SI).
Metode: Vprašalnik ESS-CHAD je bil preveden in vzvratno preveden v skladu z uveljavljenimi smernicami za kulturno adaptacijo, vsebinsko veljavnost pa je ocenilo enajst strokovnjakov z različnih kliničnih in raziskovalnih področij. V nacionalni raziskavi je sodelovalo 3314 mladostnikov (≈ 52 % deklet), s povprečno starostjo 15,4 1,7 let. Zanesljivost je bila ocenjena s koeficientoma Cronbach α in Guttman λ2, konstruktna veljavnost pa z eksploratorno in konfirmatorno faktorsko analizo.
Rezultati: Vse postavke so dosegle vnaprej določene pragove vsebinske relevantnosti, medtem ko so bili indeksi jasnosti za večino postavk sprejemljivi. Faktorska analiza je pokazala, da se dvofaktorski model bolje prilega podatkom kot izvirna enodimenzionalna struktura, pri čemer loči med pasivno zaspanostjo in klinično bolj zaskrbljujočimi oblikami somnolence. Vprašalnik ESS-CHAD-SI se je izkazal za ustrezno notranje skladnega.
Zaključki: ESS-CHAD-SI je zanesljiv, veljaven in kulturno prilagojen instrument za ocenjevanje čezmerne dnevne zaspanosti pri slovenskih mladostnikih. Ugotovljena dvofaktorska struktura povečuje njegovo klinično in javnozdravstveno uporabnost, saj omogoča razlikovanje med zaspanostjo, povezano s spremenljivimi vedenjskimi vzorci spanja, in potencialno patološko somnolenco. Lestvica je primerna za uporabo v šolskih presejalnih programih, klinični praksi in epidemioloških raziskavah
The role of histologic, immunohistochemical and genetic factors in determining the malignant potential of Spitz proliferations
No full textNamen: Spitz melanocitne proliferacije so podskupina melanocitnih tumorjev, genetsko opredeljenih s fuzijami kinaznih receptorjev ali mutacijo/amplifikacijo gena HRAS, ki obsegajo spekter od Spitz nevusov do Spitz melanomov. Zaradi morfoloških značilnosti so pogosto napačno diagnosticirani kot konvencionalni melanom. Ker so kriteriji opredelitve Spitz proliferacij v različne biološke skupine številni, subjektivni in slabo definirani, je bil cilj naše raziskave v veliki kohorti identificirati tiste histopatološke, imunohistokemične in molekularne parametre, ki so za pravilno razvrščanje Spitz proliferacij najbolj pomembni. Dodatna cilja sta bila ustvariti po meri narejena testa tarčnega sekvenciranja na nivoju DNA in RNA ter s sekvenciranjem celotnega transkriptoma odkriti možne nove biološke označevalce.
Metode: V raziskavo smo vključili 276 primerov Spitz proliferacij. Pri vseh smo opravili enak nabor imunohistokemičnih barvanj in opredelili morfološko diagnozo na podlagi treh kriterijev: prisotnost hudih citoloških atipij, ? 2 mitozi/mm2 in prisotnost difuzne rasti. V podskupini smo izvedli analizo mutacij BRAF/NRAS/HRAS, tarčno sekvenciranje DNA/RNA in/ali sekvenciranje celotnega transkriptoma (WTS). V podskupini s sekvenciranjem DNA smo postavili integrirano končno diagnozo. Za diagnozo Spitz melanoma je bila potrebna morfološka diagnoza atipičnega Spitz tumorja visokega gradusa ter molekularni znak malignosti (mutacija promotorja TERT in/ali ? 4 spremembe števila kopij (CNV)).
Rezultati: Morfološko smo 164 primerov diagnosticirali kot Spitz nevus, 78 kot atipični Spitz tumor nizkega gradusa in 34 kot atipični Spitz tumor visokega gradusa. Upoštevajoč rezultate molekularnih analiz, smo identificirali 9 Spitz melanomov. Pri nobenem bolniku v času sledenja (mediana 74 mesecev, razpon 6 - 172 mesecev) ni prišlo do napredovanja bolezni. Kot najpomembnejši parametri so se za opredelitev Spitz proliferacij izkazali starost, debelina po Breslowu, globoke mitoze, izrazita pagetoidna rast, proliferacijski indeks Ki-67 ? 10 %, izguba izražanja p16, difuzno pozitivna reakcija na PRAME ter prisotnost številnih CNV. Z WTS smo prepoznali več možnih bioloških označevalcev, ki se različno izražajo med biološkimi podskupinami Spitz proliferacij.
Zaključki: Z integracijo morfoloških in molekularnogenetskih podatkov smo zanesljivo opredelili najbolj atipične Spitz proliferacije in potrdili, da predstavljajo Spitz melanomi le približno 3 % vseh Spitz proliferacij ter imajo praviloma indolenten klinični potek. Z uporabo molekularnogenetskih analiz smo pomembno zmanjšali delež tumorjev z nejasnim malignim potencialom in pokazali, da je za ustrezno nadaljnjo klinično obravnavo bolnikov ključna opredelitev gonilnih in sekundarnih genetskih sprememb. Naše ugotovitve tako podpirajo uporabo integriranega morfološko-molekularnega pristopa pri rutinski diagnostiki, zlasti pri morfološko atipičnih primerih.Goals: Spitz proliferations are a subset of melanocytic tumours, genetically defined by kinase-receptor fusions or HRAS mutations/amplifications, that span the spectrum from benign naevi to melanomas. They are often misdiagnosed as conventional melanoma due to their morphologic resemblance. Classification into biologic subgroups is often unreliable due to numerous and poorly defined criteria. Based on an analysis of a large cohort of Spitz proliferations, our goal was to identify the histomorphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular parameters that are most significant for the proper classification of these lesions. Additional goals were to develop custom-made panels for DNA and RNA sequencing, and to identify potential novel biomarkers based on results from whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS).
Methods: Our study included 276 Spitz proliferations. The same immunohistochemical panel was performed for all cases. A morphologic diagnosis was rendered for all cases using three distinct morphologic criteria: severe cytologic atypia, ≥ 2 mitotic figures/mm2, and a diffuse growth pattern. In a subset of cases, additional molecular analyses were performed: BRAF/NRAS/HRAS hotspot mutations, targeted DNA/RNA sequencing, and/or WTS. In the subset with targeted DNA sequencing, a final (integrated) diagnosis was also made based on two criteria: (1) a morphologic diagnosis of high-grade atypical Spitz tumour, and (2) the presence of molecular markers of malignancy (pTERT mutation and/or ≥ 4 copy-number variations [CNVs]).
Results: Morphologically, we classified 164 Spitz naevi, 78 low-grade atypical Spitz tumours, and 34 high-grade atypical Spitz tumours. Considering molecular findings, 9 of 49 cases met criteria for Spitz melanoma. All tumours followed an indolent clinical course during the follow-up period (median, 74 monthsrange, 6-172 months). The most significant parameters for classifying Spitz proliferations were age, Breslow thickness, deep dermal mitoses, prominent pagetoid spread, Ki-67 proliferation index of ≥ 10 %, loss of p16 expression, diffuse PRAME positivity, and numerous CNVs. WTS revealed several candidate biomarkers differentially expressed across Spitz subgroups.
Conclusions: Integrating morphologic and molecular-genetic data enabled reliable identification of the most atypical Spitz proliferations. We confirmed that Spitz melanomas account for only about 3% of all Spitz proliferations and have an indolent clinical course. Molecular-genetic analyses substantially reduced the proportion of tumours with uncertain malignant potential and demonstrated that identifying driver and secondary genetic alterations is essential for appropriate clinical management. Our findings support adopting an integrated morphologic-molecular approach in routine diagnostics, especially in morphologically atypical cases
Analysis of Kakadu.si Online Store
No full textNamen magistrskega dela je bil analizirati spletno trgovino Kakadu.si pred načrtovanim projektom prenove in na podlagi obstoječega stanja pripraviti priporočila za izboljšave. Izbrano spletno trgovino smo analizirali z metodo ekspertne študije in podkrepili z metodo analize scenarijev. Zbiranje podatkov za ekspertno študijo je potekalo od 14. do 18. aprila 2024. Okvir za vrednotenje smo oblikovali v treh sklopih: izgled in postavitevfunkcionalnostvsebina. Posebno pozornost smo namenili elementom spletne trgovine, ki so ključni v procesu odločanja za nakup. Na podlagi pridobljenih rezultatov smo identificirali težavna področja in oblikovali smernice za prenovljeno trgovino. Po opravljeni raziskavi lahko pritrdimo oceni podjetja, da je prenova spletne trgovine nujno potrebna in da spletna trgovina uporabnikov v procesu nakupa ne podpira optimalno. Večina kriterijev, ki smo jih ocenjevali, glede na smernice ni bila ustrezno izvedenih in jih je treba izboljšati. V analizi scenarijev smo zaznali ključne dejavnike, ki negativno vplivajo na proces odločanja in vodijo v zapuščanje spletne trgovine. Kot izrazito problematična področja smo identificirali: prvi vtis, iskalnik, transakcijski meni, opis in slike ter primerjavo izdelkov. Rezultate magistrskega dela bo podjetje predvidoma uporabilo kot izhodišče za načrtovano prenovo spletne trgovine.The purpose of the master\u27s thesis was to analyze the online store Kakadu.si before the planned renovation project and to prepare recommendations for improvements based on the existing situation. The selected online store was analyzed using the expert study method and checked with the scenario method. We gathered data for the expert study between 14th and 18th of April 2024. We designed the evaluation framework in three sections: appearance and layoutfunctionalitycontent. We paid special attention to the elements of the online store, which are crucial in the decision-making process for a purchase. Based on the obtained results, we identified problem areas and formulated guidelines for the new store. After the research, we can confirm the company\u27s assessment that the renovation of the online store is absolutely necessary and that the online store does not optimally support users in the purchase process. Most of the criteria we evaluated, were not properly implemented according to the guidelines and need to be improved. In the scenarios, we identified key factors that negatively affect the decision-making process and lead to leaving the online store. We have identified the following areas as particularly problematic: first impression, search engine, transaction menu, description and images, and product comparison. The company will use the results of the master\u27s thesis as a starting point for a planned update of the online store
Orthorexia nervosa in Slovenian ski jumpers
No full textOrtoreksija nervoza (ON) predstavlja patološko obsedenost z zdravo prehrano, pri kateri se posameznik pretirano osredotoča na kakovost, izvor in čistost hrane. Namen magistrske naloge je bil ugotoviti prevalenco ON med slovenskimi smučarskimi skakalci ter preučiti vpliv spola, starosti in športnega uspeha na pojav te motnje hranjenja. Raziskava je bila izvedena v sodelovanju s Smučarsko zvezo Slovenije, vključenih pa je bilo 47 športnikov in športnic različnih starostnih kategorij in reprezentančnih selekcij. Podatki so bili zbrani z vprašalnikom o demografskih in osebnih podatkih in validiranim vprašalnikom ORTO-15, pri čemer je bil kot mejni rezultat za prisotnost ortoreksičnega vedenja uporabljen rezultat nižji od 35 točk. Rezultati so pokazali, da je prevalenca ortoreksije nervoze med slovenskimi smučarskimi skakalci 27,7 %, kar ne odstopa statistično značilno od pričakovane vrednosti 30 %. Prav tako ni bilo ugotovljenih statistično značilnih razlik glede na spol, starostno kategorijo ali športni uspeh. Kljub temu rezultati nakazujejo, da je ortoreksija nervoza prisotna tudi med posamezniki, ki se ukvarjajo s športi, kjer ima telesna masa pomemben vpliv na uspeh. Zato je priporočljivo nadaljnje ozaveščanje in vključevanje strokovnjakov s področja klinične športne prehrane in duševnega zdravja v športno okolje.Orthorexia nervosa (ON) represents a pathological obsession with healthy eating, characterized by an excessive focus on the quality, origin, and purity of food. The aim of this masters thesis was to determine the prevalence of ON among Slovenian ski jumpers and to examine the influence of gender, age, and athletic performance on the occurrence of this eating disorder. The research was conducted in cooperation with the Ski Association of Slovenia and included 47 athletes of different age categories and competition levels. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the validated ORTO-15 questionnaire, where a score below 35 points was used as the cut-off value indicating orthorexic behavior. The results showed that the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among Slovenian ski jumpers was 27.7%, which does not differ significantly from the expected value of 30%. No statistically significant differences were found with regard to gender, age group, or competitive success. Nevertheless, the results indicate that orthorexia nervosa is also present among athletes engaged in sports where body weight plays an important role in performance. Therefore, further awareness-raising and the inclusion of clinical sports nutrition and mental health professionals in the sports environment are recommended
Autoantibodies in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors
No full textBackground and Objectives: Although COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) has been successfully used to treat several viral infections, its effectiveness in neutralizing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its broader immunological safety remain debated. Since viral infections can trigger autoimmunity, particularly through molecular mimicry and immune dysregulation, there is growing interest in understanding whether CCP contains autoantibodies that could affect recipient safety.
Materials and Methods: In this study, we evaluated the presence of 20 different
autoantibodies, along with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, in plasma samples from CCP
donors. Samples were collected at three time intervals following COVID-19 symptom
onset: 0–60, 60–120 and 120–180 days. Results were compared with those from
healthy control plasma donors.
Results: Several autoantibodies— anti-Smith (anti-SM), anti-Sjögren syndrome antigen A, 60-kDa isoform (anti-SSA/Ro60), anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (anti-PCNA), anti-Ribosomal P and anti-ribonucleoprotein/Smith antigen complex (anti-RNP/SM)—showed modestly elevated levels in CCP samples collected within 0–60 days post symptom onset. In the 60–120-day period, autoantibody levels declined and approached levels observed in the control group. In the 120–180-day period, most autoantibody levels remained comparable to control levels. Our analysis showed no significant correlations between levels of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and autoantibody concentrations nor significant differences in autoantibody profiles between donors with high and low neutralizing antibody (NAb) titres.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection may transiently elevate certain autoantibodies in CCP donors. However, most autoantibody levels decline over time and the overall profiles do not indicate sustained autoreactivity. These results support the immunological safety of CCP, particularly when collected between 60 and 120 days post infection, and highlight the importance of timing in optimizing both efficacy and safety in plasma donation strategies
Designing RISC-V System-on-a-Chip in CMOS Technology
No full textTehnološki napredek na področju integriranih vezij je omogočil implementacijo računalniških sistemov na samostojnem čipu. Vsak računalniški sistem vsebuje centralno procesno enoto, ki ji pripada ukazna arhitektura. Večina uspešnih ukaznih arhitektur, podjetij, kot so ARM in Intel, je zaščitenih, torej je uporaba ukazne arhitekture brez licence prepovedana. Kot posledica tega je nastala pobuda za razvoj odprtokodnih arhitektur, kot je na primer RISC-V.
Skozi magistrsko delo je predstavljeno načrtovanje digitalnih integriranih vezij na primeru enostavnega RISC-V sistema na čipu. V teoretičnem delu magistrske naloge so na kratko opisani splošni koraki in priporočila v procesu načrtovanja omenjenih vezij. V nadaljevanju so nato podrobneje predstavljene specifikacije, implementacijske posebnosti in verifikacija RISC-V sistema.
Rezultat implementacije je sistem na čipu, ki je v trenutni fazi razvoja skladen s funkcionalnimi in električnimi specifikacijami. Ker so analogni gradniki še v procesu razvoja, so ti nadomeščeni s črnimi škatlami, zato trenutni rezultati služijo kot referenca za nadaljnje načrtovanje. V primeru uspešne izdelave bo opisana implementacija postavila temelje za kasnejše izvedbe sistema, ki bi služili kot krmilna in DSP enota znotraj namenskih integriranih vezij podjetja Renishaw d.o.o.Technological advancements in the field of integrated circuits allowed for implementations of computer systems on standalone chips. Every computer system includes a central processing unit with a defined instruction set architecture. Most of the succesful instruction set architectures, developed by companies such as ARM and Intel, are protectedtherefore, their use is prohibited without a license. As a result, an initiative was launched to develop open-source architectures, such as RISC-V.
Throughout the thesis, the design process of a digital integrated circuit is presented using the example of a RISC-V system on a chip. Theoretical part of the thesis describes general steps and recommendations of the digital design flow. In the following, the specifications, implementation details and verification of the RISC-V system are presented in more detail.
The result of the implementation is a system on a chip, which at the current design phase, satisfies all functional and electrical specifications. Due to the ongoing design process of the analog building blocks, they have been replaced with black boxestherefore, the current implementation results serve as a reference for further design. If succesfully produced, the described implementation will serve as a foundation for future designs, which will be used for control and DSP purposes, inside of Renishaw\u27s application specific integrated circuits
Performance evaluation of wick-free vapor chamber featuring hierarchical laser engineered surfaces
No full textThin vapor chambers are attractive for compact electronics but become difficult to operate reliably as the vapor space approaches the millimeter scale, especially when classical wick structures are omitted. This work investigates how coupled evaporator and condenser wettability governs the performance of a 1 mm thick wick-free vapor chamber. Six configurations are evaluated by combining three condenser surface states (reference, superhydrophilic, superhydrophobic) with either a reference copper evaporator or a laser-textured superhydrophilic evaporator. Thermal performance is assessed from 10 to 40 W using the evaporator–condenser temperature difference and overall thermal resistance. The results show that the preferred condenser wettability depends on evaporator capability. With the reference evaporator, the lowest thermal resistance at 40 W is achieved with reference and superhydrophobic condensers (1.21 and 1.18 K/W). With the laser-textured evaporator, a superhydrophilic condenser provides the best performance, and the SHPI–SHPI configuration reaches 0.77 K/W at 40 W. These findings provide practical guidance for designing ultrathin wick-free vapor chambers through coordinated interface wettability selection
Determination of intra-bone variability in DNA yield of small bones for molecular genetic identification using computed tomography
No full textUvod
Pridobivanje DNA iz skeletnih ostankov je ključno v forenzičnih in arheoloških raziskavah, pri čemer na učinkovitost vplivajo zgradba, gostota kosti ter pogoji pokopa. Čeprav je skalnica najbogatejši vir DNA, njeno destruktivno vzorčenje omejuje uporabnost. V tej študiji smo raziskali potencial šestih manjših skeletnih elementov kot alternativni vir DNA za molekularno genetske identifikacije.
Materiali in metode
Analizirali smo 137 kosti (pogačica, petnica, skočnica, čolnič, kocka, medialna klinasta kost) iz množičnega povojnega grobišča druge svetovne vojne. Uporabili smo DSCT s posebej prilagojenim protokolom za prikaz kompaktne in spongiozne kostnine ter določitev ROI za merjenje kostne gostote v HU. Za primerjavo smo vključili še 25 pogačic iz arheološkega najdišča. Vzorce smo očistili in jih razrezali glede na CT analizo. Iz kostnega prahu smo nato po postopku popolne demineralizacije DNA izolirali, očistili in kvantificirali z metodo kvantitativnega PCR. Osemnajstim izbranim vzorcem smo določili avtosomne označevalce STR. Zaradi približno normalne porazdelitve podatkov smo statistično pomembne razlike analizirali znotraj 95% intervalov zaupanja in korelacije s Spearmanovim koeficientom.
Rezultati
DSCT je razkril edinstveno mikrostrukturo kosti ter omogočil natančno izbiro mest za vzorčenje. Značilne znotraj kostne razlike v količini DNA so bile prisotne le pri petnici (sulkus > telo). Pogačice in čolniči so dosledno zagotavljali najboljšo ohranjenost DNA, medtem ko sta skočnica in petnica izkazovali večjo stopnjo razgradnje. Korelacija med gostoto kosti in količino DNA je bila nekonsistentna. Tipizacija označevalcev STR je bila uspešna pri vseh analiziranih vzorcih, s popolnimi profili, ki potrjujejo avtentičnost iz kosti pridobljene DNA. Pogačice so pokazale kontekstualno odvisne razlike: vzorci iz povojnega grobišča druge svetovne vojne so vsebovali večje količine in popolnejše profile v primerjavi z bolj degradiranimi arheološkimi vzorci, kar odraža vpliv časa pokopa.
Zaključki
Majhni skeletni elementi, zlasti pogačica in čolnič, predstavljajo zanesljivo alternativo skalnici za forenzično in arheološko izolacijo DNA. DSCT se je izkazal kot učinkovita metoda pri določanju optimalnih mest za vzorčenje, zmanjšanju destruktivnih postopkov in zagotavljanju konsistentnih primerjav znotraj iste kosti. Raziskava potrjuje uporabnost pogačice kot kakovostni in morfološko prepoznavi skeletni element za forenzično ter arheološko analizo DNA. Rezultati našega dela potrjujejo, da imajo pogoji pokopa in okolja ter kostna gostota pomemben vpliv na ohranjenost in količino DNA, najizraziteje pa nanjo vpliva čas.Introduction
DNA recovery from skeletal remains is crucial in forensic and archaeological contexts, but it depends on the bone structure, density, and burial conditions. While the petrous bone yields the most DNA, its destructive sampling limits applicability. This study assessed the potential of six small skeletal elements as alternative sources for DNA for molecular genetic identification.
Materials and Methods
We analysed 137 bones (patella, calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, medial cuneiform) from a post-WWII mass grave. Dual-source CT was used with a specially adapted and study-specific protocol to map compact and cancellous bone and determine ROI for measuring bone density in HU. Subsequently, 25 archaeological patellae were selected for comparison. After cleaning and CT-guided sectioning, the bone powder was processed using full demineralisation protocols. DNA was purified and quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Eighteen samples underwent autosomal STR typing. Due to the non-normal distribution of the data, statistically significant differences were analysed with 95% confidence intervals and correlations using Spearman’s correlation test.
Results
DSCT revealed unique bone microarchitectures, enabling precise selection of sampling sites. Significant intra-bone variation in DNA yield occurred only in the calcaneus (sulcus > body). Patellae and navicular bones consistently yielded the highest DNA preservation, while talus and calcaneus showed greater degradation. Bone density correlated inconsistently with DNA yield across elements. STR typing was successful in all tested samples, with complete profiles confirming authenticity. Patellae exhibited context-dependent variation: post-WWII specimens produced higher yields and fuller profiles compared with more degraded archaeological samples, reflecting time-since-burial effects.
Conclusions
Small skeletal elements, particularly patellae and navicular bones, provide reliable alternatives to petrous sampling for forensic and archaeological DNA investigations. DSCT imaging proved effective for identifying optimal sampling regions, reducing destructive practices, and ensuring consistent intra-bone comparisons. The study confirms the usefulness of the patella as a high-quality and morphologically distinctive skeletal element for forensic and archaeological DNA analysis. Our results demonstrate that burial and environmental conditions, as well as bone density, significantly influence DNA preservation and yield, with time being the most decisive factor