Abstract In this paper, we investigate the determinants of bank profitability by examining endogenous factors used to measure the size of a financial institution. We underscore the significance of bank employees in embodying institutional values and playing a pivotal role in sales channels, as well as the impact of technological integration on customer expectations and workforce dynamics. Utilizing a dataset from regulatory agencies, which includes information from 47 banks and insurance companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2021, the study explores the relationship between the independent variables which include the volume of total assets and the number of employees, and the dependent variable for profitability. By calculating Return on Equity (ROE) and employing a multiple linear regression model, the study finds that a statistically significant relation between independent variables and the dependent variable does not exist. Despite this, the research highlights the need for further investigation, particularly considering the differentiation between banks and insurance companies, the potential impact of outliers, and the broader economic context of the year studied. The findings suggest that a more refined model, possibly incorporating panel data, could provide clearer insights into the profitability determinants of financial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bioeconomy is becoming a more interesting field for investments in the Republic of Croatia, especially in its small regions and local administrative units. Vukovar-Srijem county is one such unit in eastern Croatia with noticeable potential for development in a circular, carbon-neutral, and sustainable bioeconomy. Due to the nature potential represented by one of the largest forest reservoirs in Europe-Spačva basin, forestry is one of the most important county branches. Aiming to provide more inputs on the wood biomass management, the study on the biomass flow of Vukovar -Srijem c ounty was conducted in 2020 by collecting data from local stakeholders and official reports. The study results have shown that Vukovar-Srijem county has the potential to increase the efficiency level of biomass use, but specific actions on the value-chain strengthening, finalisation of wood products, and innovative ecosystem establishment are still needed. The results highlight the predominant use of sawdust for heating purposes in the VSC region, suggesting potential for optimizing its utilization towards a circular, carbon-neutral, and sustainable bioeconomy, thus offering novel insights for future research and initiatives aiming to maximize economic and environmental benefits from wood biomass residues.

Abstract OBJECTIVES To overcome some of the challenges of endoscopic minimally invasive valve surgery, an automated annular suturing device has been used in aortic and mitral valve replacement surgeries. The current study investigates early clinical outcomes of patients who received aortic or mitral valve replacement with the help of the RAM® device as first experiences in minimally invasive valve surgery. METHODS Between September 2020 and June 2023, 66 consecutive patients (mean age 61.8 ± 11 years) underwent endoscopic minimally invasive aortic or mitral valve replacement through right anterior mini-thoracotomy at 2 cardiac surgery referral centres in Germany. The RAM® device was used in all Patients. 3.5 and 5.0 sizes were used in 16.7% and 83.3% of patients, respectively. Aortic, mitral and double valve surgery was performed in 81.8%, 15.2% and 1.5% of patients, respectively. Clinical data were prospectively entered into our institutional database. RESULTS Cardiopulmonary bypass time and cross-clamping time were 97.9 ± 20.9 and 66 ± 15.7 min, respectively. Intensive care unit and hospital stays were 1 [1–2] and 9 [7–13] days, respectively. No paravalvular leak and no other intraoperative complications occurred. 30-day and in-hospital mortality were zero. Conversion to sternotomy occurred in 1 (1.5%) patient due to bleeding. CONCLUSIONS The usage of the RAM® device is a safe, feasible and effective approach to the endoscopic implantation of aortic or mitral valves and yield excellent early outcomes. Larger size studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RAM® device.

Physical literacy (PL) is considered an important determinant of physical activity level (PAL), but studies have rarely examined the associations between PL and PAL in preadolescents. This study aimed to evaluate associatios between PL, PAL and sedentary behavior (SB) in preadolescents from southeastern Europe. The participants were 9- to 11-year-old children from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (n=333, 52% girls) who were tested for PL, PAL and SB. The PLAYself questionnaire was used for the evaluation of PL, while PAL was estimated by data provided throughout the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). Pearson’s correlations and multiple regressions were calculated to identify the associations between study variables. The results revealed a significant correlation between PL and PAL in the total sample (16% of the common variance) among boys (10% of the common variance) and girls (25% of the common variance), which was additionally confirmed by multiple regression calculated between the PL subdomains and PAL (R2=0.23, 0.15, and 0.31 for total sample, boys and girls, respectively). The SB was not significantly correlated with PL (<2% of the common variance; p>0.05) or with PAL (<1% of the common variance; p>0.05). The results indicated a stronger association between PL and PAL in girls than in boys, indicating the possible influence of the types of physically demanding activities children are involved in on the studied associations. To explore causality more specifically, intervention studies are warranted.

Abstract The preschool years are characterized by additional physical development changes, enhanced motor abilities, and strengthened movement apparatus in the kid. The feet undergo morpho-functional changes at that period, particularly between the ages of 3 and 6, which result in the development of their longitudinal and transverse arches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the actual causes of foot deformity and its degree of severity in preschool-aged children, as well as the distinction in deformity representation between the sexes. The "Institution for preschool education" kindergarten "Aladin" in Tuzla is the focus of this study, which involves 74 children of both sexes, ages 3-6, were measured in 2023. Foot deformities are equally present in girls and boys. Deformities in boys are particularly pronounced: pedes recti 21 (56.8%), pedes planovalgi 6 (16.2%), while in girls: pedes recti 20 (54.1%), pedes excavati 8 (21.6%). With the Chi-square test, we determined the statistical significance of the presence of foot deformities between the sexes. By looking at the size of the chi-square (Pearson Chi-Square) 5.964a and Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) .544 tells us that there is no statistically significant difference in the representation of foot deformities between the sexes and that these deformities are equally represented. Because foot deviations can lead to problems kindergarten kids' foot arches need to be continuously monitored. This allows for timely intervention and the adoption of suitable treatment procedures to avoid the development of deformities. Keywords: children, preschool strature, foot, deformity, gender.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex, multifactorial, progressive condition with a variety of approved therapeutic options. The purpose of this study was to offer an overview of the authorized antidiabetic medicines (excluding insulin) compared with marketed products in seven European countries. Data were obtained from primary sources, including the websites of national authorities and directly from specialists in the countries of interest. The range of marketed medicines compared with the authorized group was assessed in terms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (>60% in Bulgaria, France, Serbia), brand names (>70% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), pharmaceutical forms (>60% in all countries), strengths (>60% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), marketing authorization holder (≥50% in all countries) and the status of medicine. Spain was found to have the highest number of products based on most of these attributes. Over 90% of authorized medicines had a pharmacy price in Serbia. Regarding the newer class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, a retail price for all approved substances was available in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Spain. Only one brand name with one concentration was found available for some agents, being susceptible to drug shortages: glibenclamide (Romania, Serbia, Spain), glipizide (the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Spain), glisentide (Spain), acarbose (the Czech Republic), sitagliptin (Bulgaria, Poland), vildagliptin (the Czech Republic, Poland) and saxagliptin (the Czech Republic, France, Romania, Serbia). An overview of the national and international therapeutic options may allow competent authorities and health professionals to take rapid measures in case of supply problems or health crises.

Abstract This study investigates the benefits of international diversification in the stock markets of the 28 European countries (the EU and the UK) over two five-year periods: a stable period from 2014 to 2019 and a turbulent period from 2019 to 2024. The analysis draws on the Markowitz mean-variance, Sharpe reward-to-variability, and naive diversification models, based on which different investment strategies were developed and implemented. We find that actively managed portfolios perform significantly better than naively diversified portfolios. The analyzed markets exhibit positive short-term associations, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.29 in the first period and 0.46 in the second period. However, these markets do not show long-term cointegration. Recent crises have reduced diversification benefits, yet significant opportunities for diversification remain. Diversification benefits are almost halved in the second period: average single-market standard deviation can be reduced by 60.5% with investments in 20-indices portfolios in the stable period, and only by 33.7% with the same portfolio size in the turbulent period.

Abstract This paper presents a detailed model of low-frequency oscillations and their damping within the Electric Power System (EPS) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The system is modeled using MATLAB software, analysing the steady state and dynamic responses. This research highlights the challenges and impacts of integrating renewable energy sources, such as wind farms, on grid stability and oscillation damping. The paper utilizes eigenvalue analysis to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the system, emphasizing the need for efficient damping strategies to maintain system stability. The methodology includes a comprehensive review of existing literature, the creation of a detailed EPS model of B&H, and the application of eigenvalue and oscillation amplitude analysis to determine damping ratios. The dynamic responses of hydro power plants, HPP Mostar and HPP Jablanica, to transient disturbances are analysed to validate the model and refine damping strategies. The results indicate that the B&H EPS is well-damped, with all eigenvalues possessing negative real parts, and demonstrate the system’s resilience to small disturbances. The results are compared with the technical report on the integration of the wind power plant WPP Podveležje. This comparative analysis shows consistent patterns between the modeled calculations and empirical data, confirming the robustness of the EPS model. This alignment underscores the effectiveness of current damping mechanisms and provides a foundational strategy for enhancing system stability with increasing renewable energy penetration. The findings highlight the importance of developing advanced control strategies to sustain system stability as the integration of variable renewable energy sources continues to grow.

Background: Severe coagulation abnormalities are common in patients with COVID-19 infection. We aimed to investigate the relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and coagulation parameters concerning socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. Methods: Our study included patients hospitalized during the second wave of COVID-19 in the Republic of Serbia. We collected socio-demographic, clinical, and blood-sample data for all patients. Cytokine levels were measured using flow cytometry. Results: We analyzed data from 113 COVID-19 patients with an average age of 58.15 years, of whom 79 (69.9%) were male. Longer duration of COVID-19 symptoms before hospitalization (B = 69.672; p = 0.002) and use of meropenem (B = 1237.220; p = 0.014) were predictive of higher D-dimer values. Among cytokines, higher IL-5 values significantly predicted higher INR values (B = 0.152; p = 0.040) and longer prothrombin times (B = 0.412; p = 0.043), and higher IL-6 (B = 0.137; p = 0.003) predicted longer prothrombin times. Lower IL-17F concentrations at admission (B = 0.024; p = 0.050) were predictive of higher INR values, and lower IFN-γ values (B = −0.306; p = 0.017) were predictive of higher aPTT values. Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant correlation between pro-inflammatory cytokines and coagulation-related parameters. Factors such as the patient’s level of education, gender, oxygen-therapy use, symptom duration before hospitalization, meropenem use, and serum concentrations of IL-5, IL-6, IL-17F, and IFN-γ were associated with worse coagulation-related parameters.

Over the past 30 years, forensic experts from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have embraced advanced technologies and innovations to enable great efficacy and proficiency in the identification of war victims. The wartime events in the countries of former Yugoslavia greatly influenced the application of the selected DNA analyses as routine tools for the identification of skeletal remains, especially those from mass graves. Initially, the work was challenging because of the magnitude of the events, technical aspects, and political aspects. Collaboration with reputable foreign forensic experts helped tremendously in the efforts to start applying DNA analysis routinely and with increasing success. In this article, we reviewed the most significant achievements related to the application of DNA analysis in identifying skeletal remains in situations where standard identification methods were insufficient.

Due to its turbulent demographic history, marked by extensive settlement and gene flow from diverse regions of Eurasia, Southeastern Europe (SEE) has consistently served as a genetic crossroads between East and West and a junction for the migrations that reshaped Europe’s population. SEE, including modern Croatian territory, was a crucial passage from the Near East and even more distant regions and human populations in this region, as almost any other European population represents a remarkable genetic mixture. Modern humans have continuously occupied this region since the Upper Paleolithic era, and different (pre)historical events have left a distinctive genetic signature on the historical narrative of this region. Our views of its history have been mostly renewed in the last few decades by extraordinary data obtained from Y-chromosome studies. In recent times, the international research community, bringing together geneticists and archaeologists, has steadily released a growing number of ancient genomes from this region, shedding more light on its complex past population dynamics and shaping the genetic pool in Croatia and this part of Europe.