Introduction: Since 1956 karyotype analysis becomes an essential part of routine medical diagnostics, and helped medical professionals investigate the origin of genetic abnormalities in many constitutional and cancer diseases. Karyotyping also provided more information in the monitoring of fertility problems. An inversion does not usually have a phenotypic effect, especially if it involves a heterochromatin area, such as 9qh. Chromosome 9 polymorphism, with breakpoints p11q13/p12q13, can be the cause of variant abnormal clinical conditions such as congenital abnormalities, hematological diseasesand also could have a connection with pregnancy loss and fertility failure. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 1784 cytogenetics examination results from peripheral blood samples in the period from January, 2012 to December, 2022. The patients, carriers inv(9) in their karyotype were highlighted for detailed analysis. Results: Among the 1784 patients, constitutional pericentric inversion inv(9)(p11q13) was found in 13 females (0,72%), while it was seen in 17 cases of males (0.95%). The total average amount of inv (9) in this study is 1.68%. The inv(9) population consists of 60% cases with infertility problems, 6,66% females who had spontaneous abortus and 33,33% were patientsreferred to our laboratory for other reasons. Conclusion: In this research, the prevalence of inv (9) in the population of patients of Northeast Bosnia and Herzegovina who had the reproductive failure is shown. We believe that these results will help in finding the key to the truth about the association of this chromosome polymorphism with some pathological conditions such as fertility problems.

Purpose. To select recommendations on the use of physical culture means for students of future teachers, it is necessary to identify their functional features and genetically determined properties of the nervous system. Purpose: to reveal the relationship between the performance of the nervous system, orthostatic test and professional specialization of students of pedagogical universities. Material and methods. Students from 9 different faculties of Ukraine's leading pedagogical institute took part in the study. The total number of subjects was 841 people. Soon the reactions were determined by the program "Psychodiagnostics". Orthostatic reactions were determined by the results of heart rate in the supine position and in the standing position. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using Duncan's method to determine the influence of teaching faculty on test performance. A correlation analysis of testing indicators and ranks of faculties was carried out using the Tau-b Kendall method. Results. Students of all experimental faculties were divided into 4 groups according to the number of errors in the choice reaction test based on the results of variance analysis (Duncan method). Faculties were divided into ranks from the first to the fourth. A significant negative correlation of the rank of the faculty according to the indicator of the strength and speed of nervous processes with the heart rate in the standing position (p<0.05) and the difference between the heart rate in the standing and lying positions (p<0.01) was revealed. Conclusions. Physical exercises should be applied according to the professional characteristics and personal inclinations of the students, who were divided into 4 groups according to the indicators of reaction speed and orthostatic test. For students of the faculties of primary education and preschool education (1st group), we recommend using mobile and sports games. For students of humanities and natural sciences faculties (2nd group), any physical exercises that require an average manifestation of all physical qualities are suitable: dances, gymnastics, sports games, martial arts. Students of the Faculty of Arts (3rd group) are suitable for physical exercises that require high concentration of attention for a long time, for example, cyclical exercises. We recommend that students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (4th group) continue to improve in their chosen sport, while also studying other sports.

Recent studies have shown that people who are immunocompromised may inadvertently play a role in spurring the mutations of the virus that create new variants. This is because some immunocompromised individuals remain at risk of getting COVID-19 despite vaccination, experience more severe disease, are susceptible to being chronically infected and remain contagious for longer if they become infected and considering that immunocompromised individuals represent approximately 2% of the overall population, this aspect should be carefully considered. So far, some autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD) patients with COVID-19 have been treated with antiviral therapies or anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody products. However, there is no homogeneous approach to these treatment strategies. This issue was addressed within the European Reference Network (ERN) on Rare and Complex Connective Tissue and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ReCONNET) in a discussion among experts and patient's representatives in the context of the rare and complex connective tissue diseases (rCTDs) covered by the Network. ERN ReCONNET is one of the 24 ERNs launched by the European Commission in 2017 with the aim of tackling low prevalence and rare diseases that require highly specialised treatment and promoting concentration of knowledge and resources through virtual networks involving healthcare providers (HCPs) across the European Union (EU). Considering the urgent need to provide guidance not only to the rCTDs community, but also to the whole ARDs community, a multidisciplinary Task Force, including expert clinicians and European Patient Advocacy Group (ePAG) Advocates, was created in the framework of ERN ReCONNET with the aim of developing overarching principles (OP) and points-to-consider (PtC) on a homogenous approach to treat immunocompromised patients with ARDs (with a particular focus on CTDs) affected by COVID-19 using antiviral therapies and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody products. The present work reports the final OP and PtC agreed by the Task Force.

Devido à falha dos protocolos de biossegurança nas cooperativas de reciclagem, os separadores de resíduos se expõem a agentes biológicos, como vírus, fungos e bactérias, tornando-se mais susceptíveis a infecções por estes agentes. Este estudo objetivou estudar o risco biológico ao qual estão expostos os cooperados na atividade de triagem/separação dos resíduos recicláveis, avaliando o uso de equipamentos de proteção individual e a ocorrência de acidentes e da prática da higienização das mãos. Para isso, realizou-se um estudo descritivo quantitativo no Estado de Alagoas, nas Cooperativas de Reciclagem de Resíduos COOPREL e COOPLUM. A ocorrência de microrganismos, provenientes do manuseio dos resíduos foi investigada através da coleta de material das mãos dos cooperados, com auxílio de swab, antes e após do processo de higienização habitual, seguida da orientada. O material coletado foi transportado e analisado quanto à presença de bactérias aeróbias e anaeróbias, bolores e leveduras. Após o cultivo e análise microbiológica, verificou-se a presença de microrganismos da família Enterobacreriaceae, bolores e leveduras. Entretanto, a coleta realizada após a higienização orientada houve significativa redução do número de bactérias em 88%; em relação à amostra inicial da coleta antes ou depois da higienizaçao habitual. Referente à presença de bolores e leveduras observou-se uma redução de 37,50%. Logo, este estudo identificou que 54% dos cooperados sofreram acidentes com material perfurocortante nos últimos doze meses, e identificou bactérias da família Enterobacteriaceae nas mãos dos cooperados (56,41%), refletindo além do risco biológico, a exacerbação do risco social representado pelas precárias condições de trabalho.

Copper (II) complexes with commercial antibiotics, amoxicillin (AMX), azithromycin (AZT) and ciprofloxacin (CFL) were synthesized and isolated as solids. Structures of the isolated products were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. Antibacterial activities were determined on reference bacterial strains from the ATCC collection by diffusion technique. The results show that AMX and CFL coordinate Cu (II) ion as bidentate O-donor ligand. AZT coordinates metal center as bidentate NO-donor ligand. A difference in the morphology of antibiotic crystals and the synthesized complexes was found. Complex of Cu (AMX)2 show complete absence of antibacterial activity, while the other com-plexes show the same or even lower activity than the parent ligands.  

Background Computational signal preprocessing is a prerequisite for developing data-driven predictive models for clinical decision support. Thus, identifying the best practices that adhere to clinical principles is critical to ensure transparency and reproducibility to drive clinical adoption. It further fosters reproducible, ethical, and reliable conduct of studies. This procedure is also crucial for setting up a software quality management system to ensure regulatory compliance in developing software as a medical device aimed at early preclinical detection of clinical deterioration. Objective This scoping review focuses on the neonatal intensive care unit setting and summarizes the state-of-the-art computational methods used for preprocessing neonatal clinical physiological signals; these signals are used for the development of machine learning models to predict the risk of adverse outcomes. Methods Five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE, and ACM Digital Library) were searched using a combination of keywords and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms. A total of 3585 papers from 2013 to January 2023 were identified based on the defined search terms and inclusion criteria. After removing duplicates, 2994 (83.51%) papers were screened by title and abstract, and 81 (0.03%) were selected for full-text review. Of these, 52 (64%) were eligible for inclusion in the detailed analysis. Results Of the 52 articles reviewed, 24 (46%) studies focused on diagnostic models, while the remainder (n=28, 54%) focused on prognostic models. The analysis conducted in these studies involved various physiological signals, with electrocardiograms being the most prevalent. Different programming languages were used, with MATLAB and Python being notable. The monitoring and capturing of physiological data used diverse systems, impacting data quality and introducing study heterogeneity. Outcomes of interest included sepsis, apnea, bradycardia, mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, with some studies analyzing combinations of adverse outcomes. We found a partial or complete lack of transparency in reporting the setting and the methods used for signal preprocessing. This includes reporting methods to handle missing data, segment size for considered analysis, and details regarding the modification of the state-of-the-art methods for physiological signal processing to align with the clinical principles for neonates. Only 7 (13%) of the 52 reviewed studies reported all the recommended preprocessing steps, which could have impacts on the downstream analysis. Conclusions The review found heterogeneity in the techniques used and inconsistent reporting of parameters and procedures used for preprocessing neonatal physiological signals, which is necessary to confirm adherence to clinical and software quality management system practices, usefulness, and choice of best practices. Enhancing transparency in reporting and standardizing procedures will boost study interpretation and reproducibility and expedite clinical adoption, instilling confidence in the research findings and streamlining the translation of research outcomes into clinical practice, ultimately contributing to the advancement of neonatal care and patient outcomes.

Objectives Dental caries first occurs within primary dentition in toddlers and preschool children, in a form of early childhood caries (ECC). In every day’s busy and employment burdened parenting, caretakers and institutions have become important even more nowadays, not only for forming child general behavior and character, but also for maintenance of their general and oral health as well. Aims To evaluate the presence and severity of ECC in children who attended public kindergartens in Sarajevo, and to offer basic information for the maintenance and improvement of child oral health to their parents and kindergarten teachers. Methods The study included 1722 preschool children aged 3-6 years who attended kindergartens within Sarajevo public kindergarten institution, together with their parents and kindergarten teachers. Dental team members gradually visited all kindergartens situated in four Sarajevo city municipalities and examined kindergarten children according to the WHO Oral Health Survey Manual. Oral health promotion material for parents and kindergarten teachers was also distributed simultaneously during sequential visits. Results ECC was present in preschool kindergarten children in Sarajevo, with its high prevalence (67.71%); dmft-value (3.97) and severity (SiC index 8.79). There was also a significant lack of dental healthcare to examined children mostly related to lack of visiting dental offices by children’s parents (CI=10.55%, RI=10.80%, TI=12.98%). Conclusion Parental role in preserving and improving of their children oral health should be systematically and profoundly improved. Kindergarten officials and staff should recognize the importance of anticariogenic diet menus and oral hygiene maintenance within their institutions.

For many years, researchers have been making efforts to find a manufacturing technique, as well as a drug delivery system, that will allow for oral delivery of biopharmaceuticals to their target site of action without impairing their biological activity. Due to the positive in vivo outcomes of this formulation strategy, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs) have been intensively studied in the last few years as a way of overcoming the different challenges associated with the oral delivery of macromolecules. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possibility of developing solid SEDDSs as potential carriers for the oral delivery of lysozyme (LYS) using the Quality by Design (QbD) concept. LYS was successfully ion paired with anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and this complex was incorporated into a previously developed and optimized liquid SEDDS formulation comprising medium-chain triglycerides, polysorbate 80, and PEG 400. The final formulation of a liquid SEDDS carrying the LYS:SDS complex showed satisfactory in vitro characteristics as well as self-emulsifying properties (droplet size: 13.02 nm, PDI: 0.245, and zeta potential: −4.85 mV). The obtained nanoemulsions were robust to dilution in the different media and highly stable after 7 days, with a minor increase in droplet size (13.84 nm) and constant negative zeta potential (−0.49 mV). An optimized liquid SEDDS loaded with the LYS:SDS complex was further solidified into powders by adsorption onto a chosen solid carrier, followed by direct compression into self-emulsifying tablets. Solid SEDDS formulations also exhibited acceptable in vitro characteristics, while LYS preserved its therapeutic activity in all phases of the development process. On the basis of the results gathered, loading the hydrophobic ion pairs of therapeutic proteins and peptides to solid SEDDS may serve as a potential method for delivering biopharmaceuticals orally.

Background: Cognitive dysfunctions are often presented as a symptom in multiple sclerosis which is associated with both structural and functional imapirments of neuronal networks in the brain. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of dysability, duration and type of disesase on cognitive functions in multiple sclerosis patients. Methods: This study included 60 MS patients treated at the Department of Neurology, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Inclusion criteria were clinically definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, 18 years of age or older and were able to give written informed consent. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) screening test. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparisons between clinical characteristics and MoCa test scores. Results: Out of 63.33% of patients had EDSS <=4.5. Disease lasted longer than 10 years in 30% of patients. 80% had relapsing-remitting MS and 20% had secondary progressive MS. 84,2 % of patients with EDSS ≤ 4.5 had cognitive dysfunction. Higher disability (rho=0,306, p<0,05), progressive type of disease (rho=0,377, p< 0,01) and longer disease duration (rho=0,282, p<0,05) were associated with worse overall cognitive functions. Level of disability showed statistical significant correlation with the executive functions and language domains of cognition (p<0.01). Longer disease duration was significant correlated with executive functions (p<0,01) and language domains (p<0,01), while progressive type of disease was signifacant correlated only with executive functions domain (p<0,01). MoCa score variables did not show a statistically significant difference in relation to the number of relapses per year and the use of imunoterapy. Statistically significant negative correlation was obtained between executive functions domain and level of disability, disease duration and progressive type of disease, while language domain significantly correlated only with disability level and progressive type of disease. Conclusion: High percentage of MS patients has cognitive impairment. Patients with higher disability were presented with lower cognitive abilities, especially in executive functions and language domains. Higher frequency of cognitive impairment were presented in progessive forms of disaese and longer disease duration with strong influence on executive functions domains of cognition.

The interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein receptor-binding domain with the host-cell ACE2 receptor is a well-known step in virus infection. Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) is another host factor involved in virus internalization. The interaction between S-glycoprotein and NRP-1 has been identified as a potential COVID-19 treatment target. Herein, the effectiveness of folic acid and leucovorin in preventing contact between S-glycoprotein and NRP-1 receptors was investigated using in silico studies and then confirmed in vitro. The results of a molecular docking study showed that leucovorin and folic acid had lower binding energies than EG01377, a well-known NRP-1 inhibitor, and lopinavir. Two hydrogen bonds with Asp 320 and Asn 300 residues stabilized the leucovorin, while interactions with Gly 318, Thr 349, and Tyr 353 residues stabilized the folic acid. The molecular dynamic simulation revealed that the folic acid and leucovorin created very stable complexes with the NRP-1. The in vitro studies showed that the leucovorin was the most active inhibitor of the S1-glycoprotein/NRP-1 complex formation, with an IC75 value of 185.95 µg/mL. The results of this study suggest that folic acid and leucovorin could be considered as potential inhibitors of the S-glycoprotein/NRP-1 complex and, thus, could prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus’ entry into host cells.

Agricultural practices in Bosnia and Hercegovina demand different improvements, including smart management of land and water resources. A new H2020 project started in 2021 in this regard. The objective of this publication is to spread knowledge about SMARTWATER project by describing different achievements in two years of implementation (2021-2022), to invite target groups to participate in the action and to promote smart agricultural practices. Presented results indicate that the implementation is at a satisfactory level. Project consortium will continue with efforts, including twinning, networking, research, dissemination and increasing competency and fund rising skills.

Primary cardiac tumors, which are uncommon types of tumors, can be presented with a variety of clinical signs and symptoms, depending on their location. We present a case of a 57-year-old female patient with a severe right-sided heart failure. Examination using 2-dimensional transthoracic and 3-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography detected a large, oval, tumor-like formation within the right atrium, which compromised the blood flow from the superior and inferior vena cava. It appeared to have an irregular echo-free space in its central part, probably due to necrosis. Thoracic multislice computed tomography revealed a heterogeneous, expansive, tumor-like mass in the right atrium, with signs of bleeding in its center. Although there were no signs of metastatic dissemination, it could not be excluded that the tumor-like mass originated outside of the heart. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor. The surgery was accompanied with bleeding complications that developed due to the central necrosis with local infiltration. During the postoperative period, severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome developed and the patient died. Pathologists diagnosed undifferentiated pleomorphic cardiac sarcoma for which the prognosis is usually poor. The median survival of patients with this type of diagnosis is less than 1 year, even with surgical resection and further adjuvant therapy.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic to severe disease with a high mortality rate. In view of the current pandemic and the increasing influx of patients into healthcare facilities, there is a need to identify simple and reliable tools for stratifying patients. Objective: Study aimed to analyze whether hemogram-derived ratios (HDRs) can be used to identify patients with a risk of developing a severe clinical form and admission to hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional and observational study included 500 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Data on clinical features and laboratory parameters were collected from medical records and 13 HDRs were calculated and analyzed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were included in the analysis. Results: Of the 500 patients, 43.8% had a severe form of the disease. Lymphocytopenia, monocytopenia, higher C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were found in severe patients (p < 0.05). Significantly higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR (dNLR), neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-to-platelet ratio (NLPR) and CRP-to-lymphocyte ratio (CRP/Ly) values were found in severe patients (p < 0.001). In addition, they have statistically significant prognostic potential (p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for CRP/Ly, dNLR, NLPR, NLR, and NPR were 0.693, 0.619, 0.619, 0.616, and 0.603, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 65.7% and 65.6% for CRP/Ly, 51.6% and 70.8 for dNLR, 61.6% and 57.3% for NLPR, 40.6% and 80.4% for NLR, and 48.8% and 69.1% for NPR. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that NLR, dNLR, CRP/Ly, NPR, and NLPR can be considered as potentially useful markers for stratifying patients with a severe form of the disease. HDRs derived from routine blood tests results should be included in common laboratory practice since they are readily available, easy to calculate, and inexpensive.