OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare two sampling methods for nasal nitric oxide in healthy individuals and allergic rhinitis patients, and to examine the within-subject reliability of nasal nitric oxide measurement. METHODS The study included 23 allergic rhinitis patients without concomitant asthma and 10 healthy individuals. For all participants, nitric oxide levels were measured non-invasively from the lungs through the mouth (i.e. the oral fractional exhaled nitric oxide) and the nose. Nasal nitric oxide was measured by two different methods: (1) nasal aspiration via one nostril during breath holding and (2) single-breath quiet exhalation against resistance through a tight facemask (i.e. the nasal fractional exhaled nitric oxide). RESULTS Compared with healthy participants, allergic rhinitis patients had significantly higher average oral and nasal nitric oxide levels. All methods of nitric oxide measurement had excellent reliability. CONCLUSION Nasal nitric oxide measurement is a useful and reliable clinical tool for diagnosing allergic rhinitis in patients without asthma in an out-patient setting.

1Travnik General Hospital, Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Surgical intervention usually leads to fear. The operation has always been emphasized emotional entry into the sphere of the unknown and there is no man with normal psychological defenses that do not feel any discomfort when visiting any operation. The aim of this study is to examine the existence of psychological reactions of patients who were admitted to the surgical treatment, the possibility of exploring measures to overcome possible preoperative and postoperative fear, development of a plan to introduce changes and strategies to overcome the preoperative and postoperative fear and monitoring its implementation. The research was conducted in the surgical unit for anesthesia and resuscitation at University Hospital in Foca during the period from 01.05.2013. until 31.05.2013. year. The study used a descriptive short questionnaire with information on the subject and self-assessment questionnaire for depression. The majority of patients a few days before the operation had diminished interest in the events around them, a feeling of emptiness, indisposition, sleep problems, fatigue. The majority of patients had decreased appetite, weakness of concentration, slow, suicidal ideas. From all examined patients 15% of them showed no physical symptoms, while 85% were showed greater number of physical symptoms in the field of all organ systems. Twenty percent of all examined patients has no signs of depression, a mild form of depression was found in 55% of patients, while the moderately mild form of depression was found in 25% of patients. A well-designed and conducted psychological preoperative preparation is not only an important factor for positive operational outcomes and successful post-operative recovery of patients, but also more durable pledge its rational relationship to health and disease.

The project iMARECULTURE is focusing in raising European identity awareness using maritime and underwater cultural interaction and exchange in Mediterranean Sea. Commercial ship routes joining Europe with other cultures are vivid examples of cultural interaction, while shipwrecks and submerged sites, unreachable to wide public are excellent samples that can benefit from immersive technologies, augmented and virtual reality. The projects aim to bring inherently unreachable underwater cultural heritage within digital reach of the wide public using virtual visits and immersive technologies. Apart from reusing existing 3D data of underwater shipwrecks and sites, with respect to ethics, rights and licensing, to provide a personalized dry visit to a museum visitor or augmented reality to the diver, it also emphasizes on developing pre- and after- encounter of the digital or physical museum visitor. The former one is implemented exploiting geospatial enabled technologies for developing a serious game of sailing over ancient Mediterranean and the latter for an underwater shipwreck excavation game. Both games are realized thought social media, in order to facilitate information exchange among users. The project supports dry visits providing immersive experience through VR Cave and 3D info kiosks on museums or through the web. Additionally, aims to significantly enhance the experience of the diver, visitor or scholar, using underwater augmented reality in a tablet and an underwater housing. The consortium is composed by universities and SMEs with experience in diverse underwater projects, existing digital libraries, and people many of which are divers themselves.

IntroductionFemoral neck fracture (FNF) is a devastating injury with serious medical and social consequences. One-third of these patients have some degree of impaired cognitive status. Despite this, a high proportion of hip fracture trials exclude patients with cognitive impairment (CI). We aimed to evaluate whether moderate to severe CI could predict walking ability, quality of life, functional outcome, reoperations and mortality in elderly patients with displaced FNF treated with hemiarthroplasty (HA).MethodsThis cohort study included a consecutive series of 188 patients treated with HA for a displaced FNF. Patients were assessed for estimated preoperative and 1 year postoperatively with regard to walking ability, cognitive status, quality of life with EQ-5D and hip function with Harris hip score.ResultsThere were 188 patients who met the inclusion criteria. A total of 130 patients were in the control group, and 58 were in the CI group. At 1-year follow-up, 31 patients (24%) had died in the control group and 22 patients (38%) had died in the cognitive impaired group. This difference in reoperation and mortality rate was statistically significant (log-rank test, p = 0.016). The CI had a significantly higher incidence of being non-walker (28 vs. 4%, OR 9.2, p = 0.001). The EQ-5D was higher in the control group, while the Harris hip score was comparable in the two groups.ConclusionsModerate to severe CI was associated with a high incidence of non-walking ability, worse quality of life, high mortality and re-operation rate after femoral neck fractures treated with HA.

This paper describes one way of assessment of exposure level to electromagnetic fields of secondary electronic equipment or personnel in or close to high-voltage facilities. Assessment of fulfilling criteria regarding allowable values of magnetic flux, according regulations, was gained by numerical calculation and experimental measurement, considering geometrical configuration of high-voltage facility elements. Correct identification of electromagnetic disturbances of transmission lines has for a result optimal geometrical disposition of electronic equipment inside a high-voltage facility. Comparing a calculation results and results of experimental measuring on particular example of high-voltage facility, can lead to a conclusion that expensive measuring can be avoided, through standardization of a mathematical model and through numerical calculation of low-frequency magnetic field distribution even in conditions of the most complex geometry. Having in mind a number of locations where interaction between high-voltage facility and electronic equipment and personnel exists, a clear intention of authors, for reducing expenses of recording interaction level, is visible.

INTRODUCTION Acinetobacter baumannii is one of major causative agents of severe, life-threatening hospital infections (HIs), especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Our aim was to discover the risk factors associated with the emergence of HIs caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), as well as those associated with death in patients who suffer from such infections. METHODOLOGY A prospective cohort study was conducted over a five-year period in the medical-surgical ICU of the Clinical Centre in Kragujevac, Serbia. The study group comprised patients who had HIs caused by CRAB, while the control group comprised patients infected with carbapenem-sensitive Acinetobacter baumannii. RESULTS In total, 137 patients developed HIs caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. The mean age of the patients was 59.65 ± 16.08 years, and 99 (72.26%) of them were males. In 95 patients (69.35%), the infection was caused by CRAB. There were six independent risk factors for CRAB infections: use of mechanical ventilation, previous stay in another department, stay in ICU for more than a month, and previous use of carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and metronidazole. Three independent risk factors were found for death in patients with HIs caused by CRAB: use of mechanical ventilation, previous stay in another department, and previous use of carbapenems. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study can be helpful when identifying patients with risk of HIs caused by CRAB and in planning preventive measures. Modification of known risk factors and appropriate institutional policy of antibiotic utilization are important measures that may decrease the incidence and mortality of such infections.