Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes characterized by vascular permeability, increased tissue ischemia, and angiogenesis. One of the most important proteins involved in angiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, also known as VEGFA). A previous study demonstrated that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs6921438 and rs10738760, account for nearly half the variation in circulating VEGF levels. The aim of our study was to assess the association between rs6921438 and rs10738760 and DR in Slovenian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This case-control study enrolled 1037 unrelated Slovenian individuals (Caucasians) with T2DM. DR group included 415 T2DM patients with DR, while control group included 622 T2DM patients with no clinical signs of DR. The clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the medical records of the patients. The genotyping of rs6921438 and rs10738760 SNPs was carried out with real-time PCR assays. Significant differences were observed between patients with DR and controls in the duration of diabetes (p < 0.001), insulin therapy (p < 0.001), glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.001), body mass index (p = 0.002), total cholesterol (p = 0.002), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001). However, we did not observe significant differences in the genotype and allele distribution of the two SNPs, between DR and control group (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that rs6921438 and rs10738760 were not independent genetic risk factors for DR in the co-dominant model adjusted for the above-mentioned clinical and laboratory data. In conclusion, VEGF-related SNPs rs10738760 and rs6921438 are not associated with DR in our group of Slovenian patients (Caucasians) with T2DM.

The role of ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the development of Crohn's disease (CD) remains unclear. Due to inconsistent results of several European population-based studies and limited information on populations from Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), we conducted a preliminary association study of two main ABCB1 SNPs and CD. ABCB1 3435C>T and 2677G>T/A SNPs were analyzed in Polish and Bosnian patients with CD (n = 85 and n = 30, respectively) and controls (n = 82 and n = 30, respectively) using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for 3435C>T and allele-specific PCR for 2677G>A/T SNP. A deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was found for both SNPs in Polish patients with CD, and for 2677G>A/T in Polish control group. The allele and genotype frequencies of the two ABCB1 SNPs were not significantly different between the CD patients and controls in both populations (p > 0.05). Similarly, the genotype distribution of 3435C>T and 2677G>T/A SNPs was not significantly different between Polish and Bosnian patients with CD (p > 0.05). At least one mutated ABCB1 allele was carried by 97.7% of Polish and 90.0% of Bosnian patients with CD. No association was found between the ABCB1 SNPs and CD in the two populations. In conclusion, the two ABCB1 SNPs may not contribute to CD susceptibility in the populations of Poland and B&H. Further studies with larger samples in both populations are warranted.

Liquid impinging jet at the bottom of the annular cavity is a typical case in the process industry. The jet could have an impact at the bottom center or its peripheral section. The profiled annular cylindrical cavity with the installed electricity heater source is investigated in this paper. Thermal contact irreversibility and liquid drag irreversibility are generated within the profiled cavity. Through analytical modeling and experimental verification, a valid model of the entropy generation is established for both states. The results show that the total entropy between the liquid and the bottom is many times greater for the case of the central jet impingement. Within the annular vertical walls are the locations of the maximum or minimum of the entropy. The effectiveness of the liquid heating is greater in the peripheral impact of the liquid. The method and the results are the basis for optimizing the profiled cavity in various optimization geometry parameters. The optimal geometry of the annular cavity exists in such a way that the balance between thermal irreversibility and liquid drag irreversibility leads to the total minimum rate of the entropy generation for the annular cavity.

Purpose Throughout Macedonia, beekeeping is becoming popular regardless of ethnicity. Studying ethnicity, the purpose of this paper is to determine what beekeepers in Macedonia thought in their own words about their beekeeping entrepreneurship. The objective is to identify whether motivations of ethnic Albanian beekeepers in Macedonia were the same or different compared to those of ethnic Macedonians in the same country, and if different, how. Design/methodology/approach To accomplish this objective, in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 beekeepers in Macedonia. A total of 29 interviews were conducted face-to-face and the other 11 by phone. The first set of interviews took place between December 2016 and February 2017, followed by more interviews in June 2017. In total, 27 respondents said they were ethnic Albanians, and 13 identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians. Also, ten respondents were women. While eight were full-time beekeepers, 32 were part-time beekeepers. Findings The results indicated that beekeeping businesses play a significant role in the transition economy of Macedonia. Beekeeping provides additional earnings that support rural families and keeps them financially stable. The majority of both Albanians and Macedonians understood that beekeeping on a part-time job basis provided a needed supplement to their income. Some part-time beekeepers are also working as auto-mechanics, locksmiths, medical doctors, restaurant/cafeteria owners, and tailors. A few in the sample were retired from their jobs or full-time beekeepers. An important difference between ethnic Albanian beekeepers and ethnic Macedonians in Macedonia is that the majority of ethnic Albanian participants see beekeeping as following in “my father’s footsteps”, while most Macedonians were motivated by the perceived opportunity of having a good business. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the research are twofold. First, financial data of family beekeeping are not available, which would be useful in determining the contribution made to economic development. It is common, especially in transition economies such as the western Balkans, that financial results are very sensitive to their owners. Second, unavailable databases for beekeepers make any quantitative approach difficult, if not impossible, resulting in most research using the qualitative research approach. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to treat beekeeping as a form of artisan entrepreneurship, which also contributes to the understanding of family business. As in other countries, the important and operation of the family business among family members in Macedonia is passed from generation to generation. The results of this research revealed the value of networking, which was found to be very important to income. For beekeepers to develop, grow, and be branded in the community, networking is an important ingredient.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare, often fatal, opportunistic infection, associated with demyelinating process. PML is caused by John Cunningham (JC) polyomavirus, and predominantly affects patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or other immunocompromised patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in establishing the diagnosis of PML. MRS with long and short echo time was performed in two patients with PML associated with HIV infection and in one PML patient associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The most prominent peak on the obtained spectra was for lactate; it showed 2-3 times higher concentration of lactate compared to choline, almost 4-6 times higher lactate concentration compared to creatine, and 4-11 times higher lactate in comparison to N-acetylaspartate concentration. Similar spectrum pattern was observed in all patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is a new finding that might be useful in early diagnosis of PML. Nevertheless, further confirmation of our results is needed, since we analyzed the spectrum pattern only in three patients. Overall, our results could help in early detection of PML, especially in non-HIV patients, and thus prevent the fatal outcome of the disease. MRS could also be useful in detecting "tumefactive" demyelinating lesions in PML patients, associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, to avoid misdiagnosis of neoplasm.

The relationship between genetic risk factors of thrombophilia and pregnancy loss (PL) is being discussed. The focus has been on F5 1691G>A, F2 20210G>A, and MTHFR 677C>T polymorphisms that may predispose women to microthrombosis during the stages of embryo implantation and placentation. Although, the frequencies of these polymorphisms were reported in different populations, such studies have not yet been performed in Bosnian population. In this study, we determined the prevalence of F5 G>A (rs6025), F2 G>A (rs1799963) and MTHFR C>T (rs1801133) polymorphisms in Bosnian women. A total of 154 women with PL, mean age 33 (±5.4) years, were enrolled in the study. As a control group, 154 mothers [mean age 31.4 (±6.7) years] with at least one live-born child were included. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the frequencies of F5 G>A and F2 G>A genotypes, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for analyzing MTHFR C>T genotypes. The frequency of heterozygotes for F5 and F2 was significantly higher in women with venous thrombosis (VT) compared to women without VT (p = 0.047 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the distribution of MTHFR genotypes and alleles between these two groups. In addition, we observed no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between the group with PL and control group, for all investigated polymorphisms. The allele frequencies for 1691A (F5), 20210A (F2), and 677T (MTHFR) reported in this study are consistent with the data obtained for other European countries, however, we were not able to confirm the association between the three polymorphisms and PL in Bosnian women.

This manuscript, titled Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces in Three-dimensional Euclidean Space, is intended for undergraduate students of mathematics and other sciences with the need of use of Euclidean differential geometry. We deal with the differential geometry of curves and surfaces in three dimensions, covering all the main definitions, ideas and concepts needed for successful understanding and further application of this fundamental branch of mathematics. Many concrete examples with solutions are given with illustrations. ----- Ova knjiga namijenjena je dodiplomskim studentima matematike i drugih nauka sa potrebom upotrebe euklidske diferencijalne geometrije. Upoznat \'cemo se sa diferencijalnom geometrijom krivih i povr\v{s}i u tri dimenzije, pokrivaju\'ci sve glavne definicije, ideje i koncepte potrebne za razumijevanje i uspje\v{s}nu dalju primjenu ove fundamentalne grane matematike. Dati su mnogi konkretni problemi sa rje\v{s}enjima i mno\v{s}tvom ilustracija.

Supply chain presents a very complex field involving a large number of participants. The aim of the complete supply chain is finding an optimum from the aspect of all participants, which is a rather complex task. In order to ensure optimum satisfaction for all participants, it is necessary that the beginning phase consists of correct evaluations and supplier selection. In this study, the supplier selection was performed in the construction company, on the basis of a new approach in the field of multi-criteria model. Weight coefficients were obtained by DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method, based on the rough numbers. Evaluation and the supplier selection were made on the basis of a new Rough EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution) method, which presents one of the latest methods in this field. In order to determine the stability of the model and the applicability of the proposed Rough EDAS method, an extension of the COPRAS and MULTIMOORA method by rough numbers was also performed in this study, and the findings of the comparative analysis were presented. Besides the new approaches based on the extension by rough numbers, the results are also compared with the Rough MABAC (MultiAttributive Border Approximation area Comparison) and Rough MAIRCA (MultiAttributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis). In addition, in the sensitivity analysis, 18 different scenarios were formed, the ones in which criteria change their original values. At the end of the sensitivity analysis, SCC (Spearman Correlation Coefficient) of the obtained ranges was carried out, confirming the applicability of the proposed approaches.

Purpose: This paper discusses key aspects of knowledge management (KM) education in response to challenges posed by the necessity to improve KM as a discipline and an established professional field. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a systematic review of the current literature. Also, it reports the results of a recent panel held at the 2016 International Conference on Knowledge Management (ICKM). It brings together current literature with thought-provoking panelists’ presentations and subsequent debates with the audience. Findings: KM education from the “why, what, who, where and when” perspectives were first addressed and analyzed, and the end result was a reflection on “how” to approach KM education in the future. Research implications: This paper effectively underlines that, KM being a relatively new phenomenon, there is no clear consensus about roles that KM employees should play in an organization, what KM competencies and skills are needed, and where and when these should be obtained. Broad guidelines on how to approach KM education in the future may serve as a basis for further research. Social and practical implications: The study provides suggestions on how place KM in adult education. Originality/value: The paper tackles the research questions through an innovative combination of a systematic literature review and a panel discussion on the topic of KM and education. Overall, the paper provides a fresh view of the state of the art of knowledge and research on the topic, and also shows the common vision of a group of KM researchers and educators.