Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for both minor and major thoracic procedures has become routine practice worldwide. In this study, we present our experience with multiportal and uniportal VATS (MVATS and UVATS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). MVATS and UVATS procedures were performed in two B&H Clinical Centers: Tuzla and Sarajevo. The first MVATS procedure at Tuzla Clinical Center was conducted in 2004, and the first UVATS lobectomy was performed in 2019. At Sarajevo Clinical Center, the initial MVATS took place in 2005, and the first UVATS lobectomy was carried out in 2020. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 401 VATS procedures with prospective data, collected between 06/2017 and 04/2023. The VATS technique was employed for wedge resections, partial resections, lobectomies, and other types of resections, including metastasectomy. Results: Out of the 401 patients, 242 (60.34%) were male, and 159 (39.66%) were female, with a mean age of 57.2±23 years. The procedures consisted of 231 UVATS and 170 MVATS. Lobectomy was performed in 61 (15.21%) cases, wedge resections in 216 (51.37%), partial resections in 85 (21.19%), and other types of resections in 39 (9.72%) patients. The median duration of the procedure was 210 minutes for lobectomy, and 77.5 minutes for wedge and other types of resections. Major complications, such as bronchopleural fistula in 22 (5.49%) cases, wound infections in 20 (4.99%), atelectasis in 19 (4.74%), lung infiltrations in 15 (3.74%), and bleeding in 15 (3.74%) patients, were observed. The overall mean hospital stay for all procedures was 6.45 days. Conclusion: Uniportal and multiportal VATS techniques are feasible and safe for various indications in thoracic surgery. VATS can be performed in middle-income countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina with acceptable results, by thoracic surgeons experienced in general thoracic surgery

Citizens of the city of Sarajevo and of other industrial cities are faced with a record number of days of increased pollution. In the winter months, the city of Sarajevo faces a large number of days of pollution caused mainly by the use of fossil fuels in individual houses for heating purposes. The current situation can be changed by the massive use of energy from renewable sources such as solar energy. This paper aims to evaluate the potential of solar energy in the city of Sarajevo. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represents the most significant technological and conceptual approach to spatial data analysis. Using existing models for calculating incoming solar radiation integrated in the GRASS GIS and SAGA GIS software, we achieved the goal and calculated the results for solar energy potential in the city of Sarajevo and presented them for the specific settlements. The model was implemented on the basis of created Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from Google Earth – free datasets, using techniques to collect and convert data with different software. Comparative results of selected model research are evaluated using the collected solar irradiance values from the meteorological stations, other research results, and the solar energy potential estimated via the Photovoltaic GIS Information System (PVGIS).

The presence of pharmaceuticals in natural waters has been the subject of numerous studies in the last decade due to their potential negative effects on human health and the environment. Indeed, the intensive use of pharmaceuticals leads to their presence in municipal wastewater. Unfortunately, international and national regulations still do not require continuous monitoring of the presence of pharmaceuticals in natural waters and drinking water, so wastewater treatment plants do not focus on removing them from wastewater. Diclofenac, 2-[2-(2,6-dichloroanilino)phenyl]acetic acid (DCF), is a nonsteroidal compound used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic drug and is therefore commonly found in wastewater. Due to its properties, DCF remains biologically active in the aquatic environment and easily enters the food chain. Therefore, DCF should be removed from wastewater before it is discharged into water bodies. Adsorption is an efficient and simple method that can be used to remove DCF from water. In this study, the possibility of removing DCF by adsorption on activated carbon is investigated. Modified hazelnut shell (MHS), modified commercial activated carbon Cullar (MC) and unmodified commercial activated carbon Cullar (C) were batch tested as adsorbents. The tested adsorbents were characterised by FTIR, zeta potential and pH pzc , while the adsorbent efficiency was tested in the pH range from 2 to 10 and described by isothermal studies. Among the tested adsorbents, the maximum uptake of 48.7 mg g −1 was found when modified activated carbon Cullar was used, while both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models fitted well to the data. Modified activated carbon from hazelnut shells showed effective removal of DCF.

OBJECTIVE Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is a global disease and an improved diagnostic approach to this orthopedic condition is needed, with an emphasis on inexpensive and minimally invasive techniques. This research aimed to determine the differentiating potential of selected biochemical markers in serum between healthy dogs and dogs with hip dysplasia in a breed-specific study that involved the Tornjak dog population. ANIMALS 99 Tornjak dogs radiographically categorized (Federation Cynologique Internationale procedure and scoring scheme) between December 2019 and April 2021, as having no sign of hip dysplasia or near normal hip joints (nondysplastic group; n = 51) vs mild, moderate, or severe hip dysplasia (dysplastic group; 48). METHODS Serum concentrations and enzyme activity of the biochemical markers hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen II C-terminal propeptide (PIICP), and metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) were compared among adult dogs with or without radiographic hip dysplasia. Statistical tests used to examine the differentiating potential of biochemical markers in Tornjak dog groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression, and receiving operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. RESULTS Tornjak dogs with radiographic CHD had significantly lower serum concentrations of HA and higher concentrations of PIICP and MMP9 activity compared to dogs with radiographically normal hips (P < .05). Selected biochemical markers could distinguish dogs with radiographic CHD from those without CHD with high sensitivity and specificity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE These data suggest that the diagnostic technique of measuring serum concentrations of HA, PIICP, and MMP9 activity has a selective ability to distinguish dogs with dysplastic from dogs with normal hips.

BACKGROUND Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. A large POSHA-S database has collected responses from over 20 000 people from 49 countries. AIMS The aim of this study was to use the POSHA-S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (a) parents' sex (mothers vs. fathers), (b) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America), (c) parents' children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering) and (d) parental status (parents versus nonparents). METHODS & PROCEDURES Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA-S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA-S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex-based differences among mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents' attitudes toward stuttering. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on this subject The research clearly indicates that attitudes toward stuttering vary according to geographical region. Less clear is whether mothers and fathers from geographically diverse backgrounds hold different attitudes toward stuttering and the extent to which parental status (being a parent, parent of a child who stutters or nonparent) affects attitudes toward stuttering. What this study adds This study's findings confirm that geographical differences do influence attitudes toward stuttering. Male parents and nonparents tend to have equal or more positive attitudes toward stuttering in Middle Eastern samples, whereas non-Middle Eastern female parents and nonparents tend to show hold more positive attitudes. What are the clinical implications of this work? In addition to being culturally sensitive when working with parents of children who stutter, clinicians should also consider that mothers and fathers may have some differences in attitudes and behaviours toward their child's stuttering. These differences should be considered when designing treatment plans. It should also be noted that, despite statistical significance, the effect sizes in this study were low, suggesting that further research as well as close collaboration with parents of children who stutter is warranted.

The condition assessment of structures using the non-destructive ground penetrating radar (GPR) method is based on the analysis of the strength, sign and shape of the signal reflected from the objects under the examined surface. Therefore, it is used for locating reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures, determining the type and structure of structural elements, evaluating the corrosion of reinforcement, etc. This paper presents the applicability of the GPR method for locating reinforcement and determining the geometry of structural elements, as well as the study of the sensitivity of the GPR signal to chloride-induced corrosion parameters.

The wars of Yugoslav succession in the 1990s dramatically stimulated interest in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). To satisfy this interest from the outside world, many historical publications offered up various explanations for the outbreak of the wars.1 Yet the prior, and perhaps more significant, development occurred on the eve of the war, when historians in Bosnia and Herzegovina – although to a considerably lesser extent than in Serbia and Croatia – made an important contribution to national(ist) mobilisation and to the creation of a belligerent atmosphere by sensationally broaching traumatic topics linked to the Second World War.2 The war in the 1990s left behind a devastated and divided country and created deep social divisions which have also affected the role and status of the nation's historiography. Many today accept the claim that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in which there exist three views on history, although this is only partly true, because in this country far more than ‘three views on history’ exist. In practice, the thesis of three national historiographies (Serbian, Croatian, and Bosniak)3 turns out to be completely erroneous, because the existence of ‘national historiographies’ would also presume the existence of clearly defined thematic and methodological approaches to historical research, and that is not the case with historiography in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hence, it is more precise to speak of a scholarly historiography that exists alongside an ideologically or politically motivated historiography or ‘parahistoriography’, by which is meant ‘dealing with history . . . in a completely different way than studying history’.4

This paper describes the combined use of several analytical methods to characterise the painting technology used in two socialist realism portraits of national heroes from World War II that are now housed in the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inspection under UV light has shown that there was no previous retouching or overpainting on either painting. Microchemical tests identified the type of canvas. The radiograms indicated whether pigments with lower or higher atomic masses were used and how well the ground was rubbed among the threads of the canvas. A better penetration of the ground into the canvas and layers of oil dye that were applied to both sides of Painting 1 contributed to its better protection against high humidity. TLC revealed the type of ground on both paintings as a classic chalk-glue ground. The high humidity was responsible for the occurrence of metal soaps on Painting 2, which were confirmed by FTIR. The XRF analysis was used to describe the pigment palette, trace the causes of existing damages, and facilitate retouching. The results of this integrated diagnostic approach were used to optimise the conservation and better understand the features and techniques used in the creation of Bosnian socialistic artwork.

We consider the Arrow–Debreu exchange market model under the assumption that the agents’ demands satisfy the weak gross substitutes (WGS) property. We present a simple auction algorithm that obtains an approximate market equilibrium for WGS demands assuming the availability of a price update oracle. We exhibit specific implementations of such an oracle for WGS demands with bounded price elasticities and for Gale demand systems.

This paper investigates the dynamics of non-autonomous competitive systems of difference equations with asymptotically constant coefficients. We are mainly interested in global attractivity results for such systems and the application of such results to the evolutionary population of competition models of two species.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze all the factors (disease symptoms, sinthigraphic findings, biochemical parameters) that occur in patients with hyperparathyroidism, and since hyperparathyroidism itself is a common endocrine disorder. Methods: We analyzed 79 patients with primary, secondary, and tertiary hyperparathyroidism, who underwent surgery. We analyzed mean of age, male: female ratio, representation of different forms of hyperparathyroidism. In our study, we examined the indications for examination and surgery, as well as the most common symptoms and comorbidities. For localization PTG, scintigraphy was performed by a nuclear medicine specialist (at the Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine) preoperatively. Preoperative values of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were determined in all patients, and the same values were measured postoperatively. We also analyzed correlation of dialysis length and parathyroid gland hyperplasia in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Results: In our study mean of years was 51.13 ± 11.83 and most of the respondents were female. The most common operation was subtotal parathyroidectomy. The most common indication for examination of parathyroid glands (PTG) was renal failure. The most common comorbidity was arterial hypertension, which was found in 43 (53.2%) subjects, and the rarest gastrointestinal diseases and pancreatitis, in 1 (1.3%) patients. Scintigraphy showed an equal representation of enlarged lower parathyroid glands (both right and left). The mean values determined preoperatively for PTH were 796.24 pg/ml, Ca 2.58 mmol / l and P 1.35 mmol / l. The mean postoperative values for PTH were 222.33 pg/ml, Ca 2.06 mmol/l and P 1.17 mmol/l. We also showed that was a large correlation between dialysis length and hyperplasia. Conclusion: Hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disease, carrying potential complications of many organic systems. In most cases, regardless of the form (primary, secondary, or tertiary), it ultimately requires surgical treatment. For this reason, the clinical picture must be well known, the necessary preoperative diagnostic methods (which are complex), all with the aim of better effect of treatment of such patients.

The aim of this work was to investigate the qualitative characteristics of hearing aid users (satisfaction with the use of hearing aids in everyday life) and to determine if there are any differences compared to published research in the literature. The sample of respondents consisted of 50 users of hearing aids, aged from 20 to 88 years. The sample was chosen by random selection from a previously selected sample of 398 hearing aid users. A special questionnaire was constructed for the research. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of variables: gender, age, type of hearing impairment, percentage of hearing loss, degree of hearing impairment, time of hearing aid use, and brand of hearing aid. The second part consisted of variables for the assessment of satisfaction with the use of hearing aids, that is, 15 statements to which respondents had to express their views on satisfaction with the use of hearing aids. This part of the questionnaire was carried out by surveying. The results showed that the majority of hearing aid users wear the hearing aid regularly, they benefit significantly from the hearing aid and it helps them in communication. They have no significant problems when using and handling the hearing aid. The variables gender, age, and time of hearing aid use had no statistically significant correlations with the applied set of variables (claims). Attitudes of hearing aid users can be an important factor in determining benefit and satisfaction with hearing aids.

The aim of the study was to compare pre-treatment and post-treatment pure tone thresholds and tympanometric findings in preschool children with adenoid hypertrophy and hearing loss. This retrospective study included 63 children, 40 males (63.5%) and 23 females (36.5%), aged 4 to 6 years (mean age of 5.5±0.6 years). A total of 21 children (33.3%) had tympanostomy tube placement in addition to adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy. All children had mild conductive hearing loss. Pure tone average (PTA) was lower after adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy (p<0.0001). Type B tympanogram was predominant before treatment (62.7%), and type A tympanogram after treatment (81%). Preoperative mean PTA in children with adenoidectomy was 28 dB HL and in children with adenotonsillectomy was 27 dB HL. In both subgroups postoperative mean PTA was 16 dB HL. In children with adenoid hypertrophy and conductive hearing loss, hearing thresholds after adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy are significantly lower than preoperative hearing thresholds.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) reduce arterial stiffness beyond their antihypertensive effect. Studies showed that sulfhydryl ACEIs have the antioxidative potential to improve endothelial function, which might have a clinical effect on arterial distensibility. However, there are no studies that directly compare the effects of sulfhydryl (zofenopril) and non-sulfhydryl ACEIs (enalapril) on arterial stiffness. Therefore, this prospective study aims to compare the effects of enalapril and zofenopril on arterial stiffness and oxidative stress in both short- and long-term treatment of arterial hypertension (AH). Baseline and post-treatment peripheral and central arterial pressure indices, augmentation index (Aix), aortic pulse wave velocity (ao-PWV), serum levels of oxidized low-density cholesterol lipoprotein, LDL and uric acid (UA) were measured. The results showed that acute treatment with zofenopril, in contrast to enalapril, significantly decreased peripheral and central Aix (p < 0.001). Chronic treatment with zofenopril showed a superior effect over enalapril on the reduction of the peripheral systolic arterial pressure with reduction of ao-PWV (p = 0.004), as well as a reduction in peripheral Aix (p = 0.021) and central Aix (p = 0.021). Therefore, this study indicates that zofenopril has beneficial effects on the reduction of arterial stiffness compared to enalapril. It has potent clinical efficacy in AH treatment and further studies should compare its safety and long-term efficacy to other AH drugs that would aid clinicians in treating AH and other various cardiovascular diseases that have arterial stiffness as a common denominator.