An implantable wireless Doppler device used in microsurgical free flap surgeries can suffer from lost data points. To recover the lost samples, the authors considered the approaches based on a recently proposed compressive sensing. In this paper, they performed a comparative analysis of several different approaches by using synthetic and real signals obtained during blood flow monitoring in four pigs. They considered three different bases functions: Fourier bases, discrete prolate spheroidal sequences and modulated discrete prolate spheroidal sequences, respectively. To avoid the computational burden, they considered the approaches based on the l 1 minimisation for all the three bases. To understand the trade-off between the computational complexity and the accuracy, they also used a recovery process based on a matching pursuit and modulated discrete prolate spheroidal sequences bases. For both the synthetic and the real signals, the matching approach with modulated discrete prolate spheroidal sequences provided the most accurate results. Future studies should focus on the optimisation of the modulated discrete prolate spheroidal sequences in order to further decrease the computational complexity and increase the accuracy.

This paper concerns available steganographic techniques that can be used for sending hidden data through public network. Typically, in steganographic communication it is advised to use popular/often used method for sending hidden data and amount of that data need to be high as much as possible. We confirmed this by choosing a Domain Name System (DNS) as a vital protocol of each network and choosing Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that are most popular network attacks currently represented in the world. Apart from characterizing existing steganographic methods we provide new insights by presenting two new techniques. The first one is network steganography solution which exploits free/unused protocols fields and is known for IP, UDP or TCP protocols, but has never been applied to DNS (Domain Name Server) which are the fundamental part of network communications. The second explains the usage of DNS Amplification DDoS Attack to send seamlessly data through public network. The calculation that was performed to estimate the total amount of data that can be covertly transferred by using these technique, regardless of steganalysis, is included in this paper.

Emotional states of humans and their impact on physiological and neurological characteristics are discussed in this paper. This problem is the goal of many teams who have dealt with this topic. Nowadays, it is necessary to increase the accuracy of methods for obtaining information about correlations between emotional state and physiological changes. To be able to record these changes, we focused on two majority emotional states. Studied subjects were psychologically stimulated to neutral - calm and then to the stress state. Electrocardiography, Electroencephalography and blood pressure represented neurological and physiological samples that were collected during patient’s stimulated conditions. Speech activity was recording during the patient was reading selected text. Feature extraction was calculated by speech processing operations. Classifier based on Gaussian Mixture Model was trained and tested using Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients extracted from the patient's speech. All measurements were performed in a chamber with electromagnetic compatibility. The article discusses a method for determining the influence of stress emotional state on the human and his physiological and neurological changes.

E-mail: meldi@bih.net.ba Heart rate variability, a phenomenon of variations of the length of consecutive heat cycles reflects the autonomic modulation of the heart function. Parameters of monitoring the heart rate variability are suggested to be important in the assessment of autonomic neuropathy that may complicate several pathological conditions, with established clinical importance in predicting morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary syndrome and in patients with diabetes mellitus. The complexity of the critical illness of the subjects in the intensive care unit demands complex pharmacological and procedural therapeutic interventions and measures, which all have a significant impact on the parameters of heart rate variability. Such complex interactions limit the possibility to reach conclusions on a potential degree of the influences of the deteriorated organ function and the influence of the therapeutic interventions. Despite difficulties and limitations of interpretation of the variations and depression of the heart rate variability parameters, research in this field has been continuing. In this paper, different parameters of short-term heart rate variability monitored in 25 consecutive patients who were admitted to an adult intensive care medicine unit for different conditions of critical illness are presented.

Background: For the assessment of the left ventricular function and infarct size in acute myocardial infarction, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) are useful for the prediction of a prognosis. The aim of the present study was to correlate left ventricular function and infarct size to the level of cTnI and BNP in acute myocardial infarction. Patients and Methods: We studied 40 patients (pts), with the first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We measured the level of BNP and cTnI on a single occasion at 96 hours after the onset of symptoms, and then compared it with echocardiography estimated systolic and diastolic ventricular function and infarct size — which was determined with numbers of ECG leads and classification into small and large infarct size (small infarct size 3-4 leads, large infarct size 6-9 leads). Results: Distribution of data was estimated by using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The data do not have normal distribution, so they are representative as a median and range. We used non-parametric statistic tests (Mann-Whitney tests) to compare and improve differences among the groups. For statistical correlation, we used the Sperman rank correlation. Data were analyzed using statistical program Arcus Quick Stat. There was significant inverse correlation between the level of BNP and EF (r = -0.504, P = 0.0016) and between BNP i E/A (r = -0.290, P = 0.00705). There was a strong inverse correlation between BNP and LV-EF in STEMI, such as between BNP and E/A, against cTnI no significant correlation with LV-EF and E/A in STEMI was found. There is no significant statistical difference between BNP and cTnI in small and large infarct size. Conclusion: A single BNP value at 96 hours after the onset symptoms of myocardial infarction proved useful for the estimation of LV systolic and diastolic function. In a direct comparison BNP disclosed a better performance for the estimation of LV-EF and E/A against cTnI. cTnI is useful for diagnosing early myocardial damage in acute myocardial infarction, suggesting an implementation of dual marker strategy in acute myocardial infarction for diagnostic and prognostic work-up.

Surgical revascularization of the heart (CABG - coronary artery bypass grafting) is one way of treating coronary heart disease. Bleeding is one of the serious and frequent complications of heart surgery and can result in increased mortality and morbidity. Hemostasis disorder may be secondary consequences of surgical bleeding, preoperative anticoagulant therapy, and the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Tests used for routine evaluation of the coagulation system are activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and international normalized ratio (INR). The study encountered 60 patients who were hospitalized at the Clinic for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Clinical Center Tuzla. Patients underwent elective coronary artery bypass heart surgery either with cardiopulmonary bypass (on-pump CABG) or without it (off-pump CABG). The aim of this study was to compare the changes in coagulation tests (APTT, INR) in patients who were operated on-pump and patients operated off-pump. Our study showed that the values of APTT and INR tend to increase immediately after surgery. Twenty-four hours after surgery these values are declining and they are approaching the preoperative values in all observed patients (p <0.05). Comparing APTT between the groups we found that postoperative APTT levels are significantly higher in the group of patients who underwent surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (p <0.05). Changes in coagulation tests after surgical revascularization of the heart are more pronounced in patients who were operated with on-pump technique compared to patients operated off-pump technique.

OBJECTIVE A significant number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) link the start of illness with psychological trauma or severe stress. Impaired mental health (IMH), defined as depression and anxiety with psychoneuroimmunological factors, can play a significant role in RA. The main objective of this research was to investigate the mutual correlation of IMH and RA activity, estimated by the laboratory and clinical parameters in RA patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS An open clinical prospective study that lasted for 6 months was designed. There were 72 patients included, 58 women and 14 men, aged 34 to 80 years and screened for mental health status. The study population was randomized following the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) scale, comprised of 53 questions with a range from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (severe). This mental test was done only once during the study. Following the results from the BSI scale, RA patients were divided into mentally stable and mentally unstable patients to investigate the influence of RA activity on mental health. The following laboratory and clinical parameters were analyzed: sex, age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody, and disease activity score (DAS28). All RA patients did not express extra-articular manifestations or Sjögren's syndrome. The chi-square test, ANOVA, Pearson's coefficient, and IBM Statistics - SPSS v19 were used. RESULTS From a total of 72 RA patients, there were 44 mentally stable and 28 mentally unstable patients. All patients had either moderate or severe active disease. The only significant correlation of IMH and activity of RA was found in CRP and DAS28, but no significance was observed in ESR, RF, and anti-CCP. The DAS28 showed high disease activity with an average of 5.3 and CRP of 20.9 mg/L in patients with unstable mental health compared to stable mental health patients, where RA was associated with a moderate DAS average value of 4.35 and CRP of 14.1 mg/L. Depression and anxiety were found in all 28 (39%) RA patients. CONCLUSION Mentally unstable RA patients correlate more with severe disease activity, while mentally stable patients express moderate disease activity.

Studies that investigated an association between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have given discordant results. The aim of this study was to determine and compare serum ADMA concentration in patients with T2DM and healthy controls, and to assess correlation between ADMA and HbA1c in patients with T2DM. Serum ADMA concentration was determined by ELISA method with the use of ADMA ® - ELISA kit (DLD Diagnostics, Hamburg, Germany) and HbA1c levels were determined by an immunoturbidimetric method in 60 patients with T2DM and 60 healthy individuals matched for age and sex. Results have shown that mean serum ADMA concentration was significantly higher in T2DM patients (1.54±0.06 μmol/L) compared to mean serum ADMA concentration (0.62±0.02 μmol/L; p<0.0001) in healthy subjects. A significant, positive, correlation between serum ADMA concentration and HbA1c levels was observed (r=0.494; p<0.01) in T2DM patients. Our results suggest that there is an association between endothelial dysfunction and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Possible explanation for obtained results may be oxidative stress that is increased in conditions of hyperglycaemia and it also promotes endothelial dysfunction. Larger, longitudinal studies are required that will evaluate relation between metabolic abnormalities and increased ADMA levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Exercise training may increase production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species in different ways. The training type and intensity may influence free radicals production, which leads to differences in oxidative stress status between athletes, but the results of the previous studies are incosistent. The aim of our study was to estimate oxidative stress status in elite athletes engaged in different sport disciplines. The study included 39 male highly skilled professional competitors with international experience (2 Olympic players): 12 wrestlers, 14 soccer players and 13 basketball players in whom we determined the levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as markers of oxidative stress and the total antioxidative capacity (ImAnOX) using commercially available assay kits. The mean AOPP concentration was not significantly different between soccer players, wrestler and basketball players (60.0 ± 23.0 vs. 68.5 ± 30.8 and 80.72 ± 29.1 μmol/L respectively). Mean ImAnOX concentration was not different between soccer players (344.8 ± 35.6 μmol/L), wrestlers (342.5 ± 36.2 μmol/L) and basketball players (347.95 ± 31.3 μmol/L). Mean MDA concentration was significantly higher in basketball players (1912.1 ± 667.7 ng/mL) compared to soccer players (1060.1 ± 391.0 ng/mL, p=0.003). In spite of this fact, oxidative stress markers levels were increased compared to referral values provided by the manufacturer. Type of sports (soccer, wrestler or basketball) have no impact on the levels of oxidative stress markers. Elite sports engagement is a potent stimulus of oxidative stress that leads to the large recruitment of antioxidative defense. Oxidative stress status monitoring followed by appropriate use of antioxidants is recommended as a part of training regime.