Background: The incorporation of polymers into drug delivery vehicles has been shown to be an effective strategy to prolong the residence time of active ingredients in the precorneal tear film and to increase ocular bioavailability. Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop novel, viscous eye drops containing olopatadine (OCH) as the active ingredient, polysaccharides hydroxypropyl guar gum (HPG), and sodium hyaluronate (SH), individually, and in combination as functional polymers. Methods: Viscous eye drops containing 0.1% OCH in combination with HPG (0.25%) and SH (0.4%), were prepared and evaluated for their physicochemical properties, rheological behavior, mucoadhesion, and preliminary stability. A novel rheological method was used to evaluate the resistance of the eye drops under simulated blinking conditions. In vivo efficacy was evaluated using an ocular itch test in mice to compare the formulations with a commercial product. Results: The formulations remained stable and transparent, with physicochemical parameters within acceptable ranges. Rheological studies confirmed pseudoplastic flow, with the HPG-SH combination exhibiting enhanced viscosity and shear-thinning properties for prolonged retention in the eye. Mucoadhesion was highest in SH-HPG formulations. During simulated blinking cycles, eye drops containing a combination of SH and HPG polymers fully regained their initial viscosity during the resting periods. Preliminary stability studies indicate that the formulated eye drops exhibit satisfactory physicochemical stability under various storage conditions. In vivo, OCH-SH and OCH-HPG-SH drops provided prolonged antipruritic and analgesic effects compared to the reference product. Conclusions: Polysaccharide-based innovative formulations improve OCH retention, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.

Six novel green extraction techniques were evaluated and optimized to extract pyrethrin from dried Dalmatian pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir./Sch.Bip.). This approach offers a promising natural alternative to conventional chemotherapeutics. Four methods are presented for the first time in this study: microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), high-voltage electric discharge (HVED) extraction, subcritical water extraction (SWE), and deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction, together with supercritical CO2 extraction (SC-CO2) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), for pyrethrin extraction from Dalmatian pyrethrum. The study revealed that supercritical CO2 extraction was the most effective method for extracting all six pyrethrins, yielding the highest total amount of 124.37 ng/mg. This approach offers a “natural” insecticide produced with a clean, environmentally friendly technology that can contribute to the development of sustainable and effective insecticide strategies that are in line with environmental safety and organic production standards. In addition, this research highlights the potential application of pyrethrins as antiparasitic agents, emphasizing their role in environmentally friendly and ecological practices.

U ovom radu predstavljeni su podaci o spahijama na području današnje općine Hadžići kroz popise koji obuhvaćaju period od 1828. do 1831. godine, a čuvaju se u Arhivu Orijentalnog instituta u Sarajevu u okviru zbirke sidžila pod brojem S 68. Rad se sastoji od tri cjeline. U prvoj uvodnoj cjelini predstavljeni su podaci o sadržaju sveska S 68, dok je druga cjelina rada poslužila za osvrt na izvore i literaturu vezane za hadžićki kraj u prvoj polovini 19. stoljeća kao perioda u kojem su nastali tretirani popisi. Treća i najopširnija cjelina rada tematizira podatke vezane za spahije hadžićkog kraja u svesku S 68 uz poseban osvrt na karaktere popisa te na određene nedoumice vezane za administrativno teritorijalnu pripadnost ovog kraja u prvoj polovini 19. stoljeća.

Introduction Faculty of Medicine is often recognized as one of the most laborious. Student workload, constant exposure to stressful situations, fear of failure, pressure from parents, exposure to death and human suffering are some of the many factors associated with increasing levels of anxiety and depression among medical students. Objectives The aim of this study was to estimate the severity of anxiety and depression disorders among medical students. Methods In this cross-sectional study, self-report anonymous online survey was distributed to the students of all six years of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo. In this survey, which consisted of 33 questions, we gathered general information and the Beck’s Anxiety and Depression Inventory were used to assess the severity of anxiety and depression, whereby respondents received points by answering each question, and after scoring, they were categorized in different groups based on the severity of anxiety and depression. Results 129 students completed the survey. Considering the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory, 56% scored for the “Low anxiety” group, 33% scored for the “Moderate Anxiety” group, 11% scored for the “Potentially concerning levels of anxiety”. Considering the Beck’s Depression Inventory, 43% of the students scored for the group “These ups and downs are considered normal”, 21% scored for “Mild mood disturbances”, 9% for the “Borderline clinical depression”, 19% for “Moderate depression”, 6% for “Severe depression”, 2% for “Extreme depression”. Conclusions Psychiatric morbidity found needs to be identified and treated at the earliest, because it can lead to suicidal ideation. Medical students should be encouraged to seek help and adequate facilities should be available to all of them. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Introduction Autistic spectrum disorders belong to the group of neurodevelopmental disorders, where the manifestations of the disorder differ depending on the severity of the autistic condition. These disorders are often associated with intellectual impairments and structural language disorders. In his patients, Asperger described cases with above-average intelligence as well as cases with low language and intellectual abilities. What they had in common was that they had significant disorders in social and affective communication. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders is usually made in childhood, but there are also cases where the diagnosis is made at an older age due to the later manifestation of symptoms. Objectives To present a case report of 18 years old girl who was diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability in childhood, while later established with symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome and mild intellectual disability. Methods Psychiatric interview, medical history, psychological testing Results An 18-year-old girl, accompanied by her mother, presented herself to psychiatrist for the first time due to affective disorders that manifested in the form of increased nervousness and outbursts of anger. Early psychomotor development was slow, she started walking at the age of 1.5 years and spoke at the age of two. From early childhood, stereotypies in movements and hypervigilant attention were observed, along with very poor social interactions. Due to difficulties at school, she was categorized at the age of 12 as having moderate intellectual insufficiency and IQ of 35. She underwent long-term speech therapy treatment and finished elementary and high school with the help of teaching assistant. Somewhere in high school, the patient’s pronounced talent for drawing was noticed. Observation during the psychiatric examination reveals emotional immaturity, stereotypes and rigidity in social interactions. The patient is referred again for psychological testing, results show IQ of 88 with a lag in emotional development and development of basic social skills. The patient is referred to another psychiatrist for an additional opinion, who agrees with diagnose of Asperger’s syndrome. Low dose of lamotrigine was included in therapy, after which affective state stabilized. The patient is referred again for categorization. Conclusions This case report that a diagnosis established in childhood period does not have to be definitive and that revision of diagnosis is necessary over time and as necessary, initially due to increase of patient’s IQ, as well as due to the later presentation of symptoms characteristic of certain disorder. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the morphology and porosity of microstructured charcoal using a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), computed tomography (CT), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) methods. SEM analysis revealed a parallel arrangement of tube-like structures interspersed with smaller pores, confirming the presence of fibrous formations. MIP evaluation was conducted in two research series. MIP results identified macropores as the primary contributors to mercury intrusion; however, a minor volume of mercury also intrudes to the mesopores. The total pore area was determined to range between 70.7 and 88.5 m2·g−1, with porosity values of approximately 58.0–62.4% across different experimental series. These variations highlight the heterogeneous nature of the sample. Additionally, the uniformity of the charring process during dry wood distillation was indicated by wall thickness measurements, which ranged narrowly from 5.7 to 25 µm.

Introduction Infertility is a biopsychosocial crisis. While there are studies demonstrating heightened negative affect (e.g., depression and anxiety) in women undergoing in vitro Fertilization (IVF), the findings are still inconsistent. The network paradigm allows for a more in-depth examination of symptom dynamics behind specific psychopathological states. A recent development allows one to compare networks from different groups using three characteristics: global strength (overall level of network node connectivity), edge strength (level of association between symptoms), and network structure (comparing all edges in the network across two groups). Objectives This study aims to compare the networks of anxiety, depression, and negative affect across women who have fertility issues or undergoing IVF and women without these issues. Methods Sample 1 consisted of 197 women with fertility issues (age: M = 37.73, SD =5.13) and 370 women without such issues (age: M = 36.25, SD = 6). Sample 2 consisted of 205 women undergoing IVF (M = 40; SD = 5.29) and 222 mothers without fertility issues (M=28; SD = 4. 93). Sample 3 consisted of 162 women undergoing IVF (M= 35.58; SD=5.04) and 129 mothers without fertility issues (M= 34.37; SD= 4.94). PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire; depression measure) was administered to the sample 1, GAD (generalized anxiety disorder measure) was administered to sample 2, and PANAS - NA (negative affect measure) was administered to sample 3. NetworkComparisonTest R package was used to compare the networks. EBICglasso was used to estimate the networks. Results Regarding the depression symptoms (sample 1; image 1) - the networks across the two groups are highly similar with respect to overall connectivity (S =.051; p = .73) and overall network structure (M = .16, p =.87). Regarding generalized anxiety symptoms (sample 2; image 2), the findings are replicated with overall connectivity being the same across the two groups (S =.10, p = .34) and network structure being the same across the two groups (M = .28, p= .09). Finally, the negative affect (sample 3; image 3) network connectivity (S = .02, p = .93) and network structure (M = .23, p = .53) are identical across the two groups. Image 1: Image 2: Image 3: Conclusions The networks of negative affect, depression, and anxiety are highly similar across women with fertility issues and women without such issues. Therefore, fertility issues do not seem to affect the structure of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Finally, it is argued here that the knowledge of these disorders (and negative affect) can be generalized to the population of women who have fertility issues. Disclosure of Interest N. Ćirović Grant / Research support from: Nikola Ćirović was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., J. Opsenica Kostić Grant / Research support from: Jelena Opsenica Kostić was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., M. Mitrović Grant / Research support from: Milica Mitrović was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., M. Guberinić Grant / Research support from: Mila Guberinić was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., M. Spasić Šnele Grant / Research support from: Miljana Spasić Šnele was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., I. Janković Grant / Research support from: Ivana Janković was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe., M. Trenkić Grant / Research support from: Milan Trenkić was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #GRANT No 1568, Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach – InsideMe.

OBJECTIVE Vestibular impairment may be present in and contribute to imbalance in patients with hereditary neuropathies. We examined the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) characteristics in peripheral myelin protein 22 neuropathies using the video head-impulse test (vHIT). METHODS 23 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A (CMT1A) and 17 with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) were recruited. Three-dimensional vHIT was performed. VOR-gain and latency, refixation-saccade prevalence and first-saccade amplitude, onset-latency, peak-velocity and duration were examined and compared against age-matched controls. RESULTS In CMT1A and HNPP gait imbalance was reported in 78.3 % and 58.8 % of patients, resulting in recurrent falls in 65.2 % and 23.5 %. Reduced VOR-gain affecting the posterior-canals (PCs) was found in 47.8 % of CMT1A and 11.7 % of HNPP patients. First saccade amplitude and peak-velocities higher in horizontal-canal (HC) and PC in the CMT1A group compared to controls (p < 0.05). In HNPP, first saccades were larger in HC and anterior-canal (AC) planes; saccade peak-velocity was higher in AC and PC planes compared to controls (p < 0.05). In CMT1A, VOR-gain impairment was associated with higher Charcot-Marie-Tooth Examination Score, longer disease duration, and higher total Overall Neuropathy Limitation Scale score (p < 0.05) and VOR-gain was lower for PC in patients with a history of recurrent falls (p < 0.05). VOR-latency was significantly longer in HC and PCs in CMT1A compared to controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS VOR impairment and slowing of the VOR-latency is found in CMT1A but not the HNPP cohort. These findings may relate to demyelinating processes affecting the vestibular nerves and thus the VOR pathways. SIGNIFICANCE VHIT allows detection of VOR impairment which could be an additional contributor to imbalance and falls in patients with CMT1A.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a crucial role in vascular repair, and their depletion has been involved in coronary artery disease (CAD) severity. This study examines the relationship between circulating EPC levels and CAD complexity, as quantified by the Syntax Score I. A total of 85 patients undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled, with EPCs quantified using flow cytometry. EPC proportion showed a significant inverse relationship with CAD severity, measured by Syntax Score I. Additionally, we investigated EPC levels in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and found that EPC depletion was more pronounced in this group compared to non-ACS patients (median EPC count: 0.35 vs. 0.61, p = 0.027). These findings suggest that lower EPC levels are indicative of more severe CAD and ACS, reinforcing their potential as biomarkers for cardiovascular risk stratification, monitoring disease advancement, and identifying patients at risk of adverse events.

This study explores pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods for decarbonizing and recovering valuable metals from bauxite residue, with direct hydrogen reduction in a rotary kiln without smelting and dissolution of solid residues under high pressure in an autoclave. The goal is to offer decarbonizing techniques for the removal of iron from bauxite residue, a by-product of the Bayer process, which cannot be disposed of in an environmentally sustainable manner. In contrast to traditional carbon-based reductive melting, which generated significant CO₂ emissions, hydrogen is now being investigated as a cleaner alternative. Through hydrogen reduction in rotary kiln, approximately 99.9% of iron is recovered as iron, which can be separated using magnetic separation from the solid residue containing other valuable metals. We concluded that hydrogen can reduce iron oxide from bauxite residues to metallic iron in contrast to very stable oxides such as titanium oxide, silica and aluminum oxide. Leaching of titanium, iron and aluminum with sulfuric acid has high efficiency under high pressure in an autoclave.