From February 2023 (Volume 23, Issue 1), the title of the Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences will be changed to Biomolecules and Biomedicine. The new title reflects the increasing number of published research done on subcellular/molecular level as well as translational and clinical research contained in the term Biomedicine. Biomolecules and Biomedicine will continue to be published by the Association of Basic Medical Sciences of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read more in the PDF.

The present research was undertaken to investigate polyphenolic profiles of peel, pulp and juices made from two standard commercial and five traditional apple cultivars from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main goal of the study was to monitor the distribution and changes of polyphenolic profiles through different phases of apples’ processing into cloudy and clear juices, with regard to L-ascorbic acid pretreatment. Quantitative determination of phenolic compounds was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. The obtained results showed that traditional cultivars, namely ‘Paradija’ and ‘Prijedorska zelenika’, displayed significantly higher content of these compounds compared to commercial ones. Flavan 3-ols and flavonol glycosides were mostly found in peels of all cultivars (21.2–44.1 and 5.40–33.3%, respectively), while phenolic acids along with flavan 3-ols were predominant in the pulp (8.20–30.8 and 5.10–13.9%, respectively). Apples’ processing into juices caused decrease (more than 90%) in the content of all polyphenols and the distribution of these compounds from fruits to final products had a negative trend, particularly evident in clear juices. The most drastic loss occurred in the flavonol glycosides and dihydrochalcones content, while chlorogenic acid displayed quite stable distribution from apples to final products due to its good solubility. Apple mash pretreatment with L-ascorbic acid had a positive impact on the preservation and retention of polyphenols.

Pyrophyllite was investigated in this study as a potential adsorbent for the removal of glyphosate, a common herbicide for the control of a wide variety of weeds. There are several publications in the literature that discuss how glyphosate interacts with clay minerals such as montmorillonite, kaolinite, and bentonite, but there is no information regarding the possibility of glyphosate removal from aqueous solution using pyrophyllite. In this study, the adsorption of glyphosate from water samples onto pyrophyllite, a mineral clay from the Parsovici, Konjic mine, was investigated. The ninhydrin reaction was used to spectrophotometrically quantify glyphosate. At 570 nm, the purple Ruhemman product's absorbance was determined. Adsorption capacity (qe), removal efficiency (R), and the partition coefficient are used to express the results (Kd). The outcomes demonstrated that distinct ionic species of glyphosate at different pHs cause the adsorption of glyphosate on pyrophyllite to be pH-dependent. The findings demonstrated that during different contact times, the basic medium can remove up to 75% of glyphosate. According to results from fitting isotherm models, the Freundlich model is slightly better fitted. According to the results of kinetic investigations, the pseudo-2nd order model is more suitable for this kind of adsorption.

ABSTRACT Woman’s representation in politics is an ongoing issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia. Even though these states have sufficient laws and legal documents that regulate woman’s political participation, situation in theory is still devastating. In this paper, we gave an overview of mentioned legal framework in case studies after which we analyzed current status of woman’s representation in politics through primary method of literature review. Data was collected through primarily and secondary sources. Primarily sources were based on the qualitative research of previous work, meta-analysis and comprehensive literature reviews while secondary data was collected from official webpages from relevant election commissions from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia, with emphasis on the mixed-methods approach and small-n comparison. We came to conclusion that both countries have strong legal framework for ensuring higher level of female participation but still, it’s revival in today’s political world is still missing. Finally, we connected results of elected females with Society 5.0 Key words: woman’s representation; political participation; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Republic of Croatia; Society 5.0 ABSTRAK Representasi perempuan dalam politik merupakan isu yang sedang berlangsung di Bosnia dan Herzegovina dan Republik Kroasia. Meskipun negara-negara ini memiliki undang-undang dan dokumen hukum yang memadai yang mengatur partisipasi politik perempuan, situasi secara teori masih sangat memprihatinkan. Dalam makalah ini, kami memberikan tinjauan tentang kerangka hukum tersebut dalam studi kasus, setelah itu kami menganalisis status representasi perempuan dalam politik saat ini melalui metode utama kajian pustaka. Data dikumpulkan melalui sumber primer dan sekunder. Sumber utama didasarkan pada penelitian kualitatif dari pekerjaan sebelumnya, meta-analisis dan tinjauan literatur yang komprehensif sementara data sekunder dikumpulkan dari halaman web resmi dari komisi pemilu yang relevan dari Bosnia dan Herzegovina dan Republik Kroasia, dengan penekanan pada pendekatan metode campuran dan kecil. -n perbandingan. Kami sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa kedua negara memiliki kerangka hukum yang kuat untuk memastikan tingkat partisipasi perempuan yang lebih tinggi, tetapi kebangkitannya di dunia politik saat ini masih belum ada. Terakhir, kami menghubungkan hasil perempuan terpilih dengan Society 5.0 Kata kunci: representasi perempuan; partisipasi politik; Bosnia dan Herzegovina; Republik Kroasia; Masyarakat 5.0

Mogućnost umrežavanja makromolekula i konformaciona promenljivost lanaca spadaju u bazna svojstva, ne samo polimerne strukture, već molekulskog sveta uopšte. Elastične mreže su dugo privlačile pažnju relativno uskih krugova inženjera koji su se bavili proučavanjem proizvoda od gume. Savremeno dizajniranje bio-kompozitnih materijala, ne može se zamisliti bez polimernih mreža. Sa druge strane, elastične polimerne mreže kao primarne strukturne jedinice postaju predmet pažnje u naučnim disciplinama u kojima ranije nisu pominjane, kao što su medicina i biohemija, a dobijaju zasluženo mesto i u nizu drugih disciplina srodnih nauci o materijalima.

Introduction: Lumbar pain syndrome (LPS) is defined as pain or discomfort localized between the edge of the twelfth rib and the lower gluteal region, with or without spread to the lower extremities, and, depending on the etiology and degree of symptomatology, can have negative consequences and be one of the main reasons for work disability and absenteeism worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of exercise therapy on the activities of daily living of a person with LPS. Methods: This prospective, longitudinal, and randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2014 to June 2016. It included 200 subjects with symptoms of LPS, both sexes, aged 30 to 50 years, sedentary and standing occupations, randomized and equally divided into two groups: Examined (n = 100) and the control group (n = 100). In this study, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire was used after clinical examination. Results: The percentage of disability according to the Oswestry disability index at the first examination was 31.78 ± 14.11% in the participants of the test group and 38.74 ± 17.48% in the participants of the control group (p = 0.002). After the second examination, the percentage of disability was 6.64 ± 3.15% in the test group and 23.92 ± 14.84% in the control group (p = 0.001). At the end of the examination, the percentage of disability was 2.36 ± 0.78% in the subjects of the test group and 13.82 ± 11.25% in the subjects of the control group (p = 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found in all three examinations, and the reduction in the percentage of disability was greater in the study group, p < 0.05. Conclusion: The research conducted showed that motion therapy procedures focused on achieving natural spinal mobility and improving trunk muscle strength are effective in reducing

Objetivo: Avaliar o papel do enfermeiro na assistência de enfermagem as crianças com transtorno do espectro do autismo. Método: O estudo será desenvolvido por meio de uma pesquisa com uma revisão integrativa da literatura nas bases de dados BVS ( Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde) e SCIELO ( Scientific Eletronic Library Online), de materiais publicados no período de 2015 e 2021, em português. Resultado: Foram analisados 24 artigos, 09 foram escolhidos para formar este artigo. Discussão: De acordo com as pesquisas na literatura os enfermeiros tem uma importância significativa na assistência e nos cuidados prestados ao portador de TEA e a sua família, tanto no atendimento quanto na orientação. Conclusão: Após a análise dos estudos foi possível concluir que o enfermeiro tem um papel muito significativo e indispensável as crianças portadora de TEA, necessitam ter conhecimento deste transtorno em sala de aula, mais especificamente na disciplina de saúde mental que foca tão pouco em transtornos o que acaba deixando os estudantes leigos após a formação.

Functional recovery after spinal cord injury is guided by the formation of new spinal detour circuits. The authors show that the formation of these circuits is enhanced by targeted chemogenetic stimulation of supraspinal and spinal neuron populations. Supraspinal and spinal coordinated stimulation potentiated behavioral recovery.

Background The aim of the study was to explore the mutual relationship between oxidative stress, inflammation and metabolic biomarkers in subjects with prediabetes (PRE), newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients (NT2D) and overt type 2 diabetes (T2D) using principal component analysis (PCA) as a thorough statistical approach. Methods Glycated hemoglobin, lipid parameters, inflammation (IL-6, CRP and fibrinogen) and oxidative stress markers pro-oxidants (AOPP, PAB, TOS) and antioxidants (PON1, tSHG, TAS) were measured. PCA was applied to explore the factors that the most strongly influenced glucoregulation. Results A total of 278 subjects were (i.e., 37 PRE, 42 NT2D and 99 T2D) were compared with 100 healthy subjects as a control group (CG). PCA emphasized 4 different factors explaining 49% of the variance of the tested parameters: oxidative stress-dyslipidemia related factor (with positive loading of TG and tSHG, and with negative loading of HDL-c and TAS), dyslipidaemia related factor (i.e., total cholesterol and LDL-c, both with positive loading), Anthropometric related factor (i.e., waist and hip circumference, both with positive loading) and oxidative stressInflammation related factor (i.e., PAB, fibrinogen, and CRP all with positive loading). Out of these 4 factors, only oxidative stress - dyslipidaemia related factor showed a significant predictive capability towards poor glucoregulation. An increase in this factor by one unit showed a 1.6 times higher probability for poor glucoregulation. Conclusions Redox imbalance (determined with lower TAS and higher tSHG), in addition to higher TG and lower HDLc was associated with poor glucoregulation.

This is the first study to use moss transplants as a biomonitoring technique and inductively plasma mass spectrometry to investigate airborne potentially toxic element pollution and air quality in urban areas on a regional scale across nine Southeastern European countries. The mosses in bags were exposed for 2 months during the winter season (2019/2020) at five sites in each of the selected urban areas next to air quality (AQ) monitoring stations. The sites were selected concerning different land use classes (typical urban, residential, urban background, and rural sites). The concentrations of 35 elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A comparison with elemental analysis performed by total reflection X-ray fluorescence is also presented. Concentrations of the potentially toxic element in moss bags exposed in urban areas were significantly higher, while those exposed in rural areas did not differ significantly from the initial content of unexposed moss. Linear regression analysis revealed no significant differences between the average concentrations of elements in H. cupressiforme and S. girgensohnii moss bags (linearity R ^2 = 0.94). It shows similar trends in elements in both moss species. The median values of contamination factors in both moss species ranged mostly from 1.2 to 2.17, indicating the exposure sites show no contamination to slight contamination status (C1 to C2 scales). High values of relative accumulation factors were found for Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sb, and V in moss bags, indicating these elements are the most abundant in most sampling sites, which may increase human exposure through inhalation and could lead to harmful health problems.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, several illegal waste dumps pose a significant threat to soil and water contamination. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metal contamination of soils and microbiological contamination of water near investigated landfills. The goal was to identify the harmful effects of illegal landfills on the environment and public health, as well as assessing the potential of contaminants to pollute soil and water resources. Using an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, the amounts and distribution of four heavy metals (Cd, Co, Pb, and Cr) in soil at four illegal landfills in Central Bosnia were studied. Three water samples collected near the dumpsites studied were tested for microbes. Bacteriological analyses of water included determination of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria and fecal enterococci. Quantitative results were analyzed using an analysis of variance and Tukey HSD post hoc test. Concentrations of Cd (4.96 mg/kg) and Pb (206.97 mg/kg) recorded in soil at particular sites were above the limits of maximum allowable concentration. Cr and Pb values in soil samples were relatively higher on average than that of Cd and Co. Enrichment factor and pollution load index indicated high concentration of heavy metals in soil, especially Cd. Based on these results, waste from illegal landfills may release considerable amounts of harmful metals and microbes into the environment.

A Western diet comprises high levels of dicarbonyls and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), which may contribute to flares and symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We therefore investigated the intake of dietary dicarbonyls and AGEs in IBD and IBS patients as part of the habitual diet, and their association with intestinal inflammation. Food frequency questionnaires from 238 IBD, 261 IBS as well as 195 healthy control (HC) subjects were used to calculate the intake of dicarbonyls methylglyoxal, glyoxal, and 3-deoxyglucosone, and of the AGEs Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine, Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)lysine and methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone-1. Intestinal inflammation was assessed using faecal calprotectin. The absolute dietary intake of all dicarbonyls and AGEs was higher in IBD and HC as compared to IBS (all p < 0.05). However, after energy-adjustment, only glyoxal was lower in IBD versus IBS and HC (p < 0.05). Faecal calprotectin was not significantly associated with dietary dicarbonyls and AGEs in either of the subgroups. The absolute intake of methylglyoxal was significantly higher in patients with low (<15 μg/g) compared to moderate calprotectin levels (15–<50 μg/g, p = 0.031). The concentrations of dietary dicarbonyls and AGEs generally present in the diet of Dutch patients with IBD or IBS are not associated with intestinal inflammation, although potential harmful effects might be counteracted by anti-inflammatory components in the food matrix.

Introduction: Besides cardiovascular, malignant diseases are one of the leading causes of death in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the top of this list are hematological diseases. This research aimed to identify cytogenetic and molecular biomarkers in patients treated for different types of hematological neoplasms. Methods: The retrospective study included 1600 samples of patients with different hematological diseases in the period from January 2006 to May 2022. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to determine the presence of genetic rearrangements and to confirm the findings of conventional cytogenetic analysis. Results: Chromosomal aberrations were found in 739 (46,18%) patients. Using the RT-PCR technique, positive cases were increased by 1,5%. The BCR-ABL fusion gene was present in e14-a2 transcript form in 73% of samples, e13-a2 isoform in 21%, e1-a2 in 2%, while e14-a2/e1-a2 transcript coexpression was present in a percentage of 4% of the samples. The PML-RARa fusion gene was found in the form of bcr 1 transcripts in 21%, bcr2 32% and bcr3 59% of the samples. In twelve cases A type of the CBFB-MYH11 fusion transcript was detected. The MLL-AF4 fusion was found in only one case. Conclusion: The obtained percentages of frequency of individual molecular gene isoforms are in accordance with the results of most other researchers. This refers to the Balkan population and the Caucasian ethnic group.

Aside from significant advancements in the development of optical and quantum components, the performance of practical quantum key distribution systems is largely determined by the type and settings of the error key reconciliation procedure. It is realized through public channel and it dominates the communication complexity of the quantum key distribution process. The practical utilization significantly depends on the computational capacities that are of great importance in satellite-oriented quantum communications. Here we present SarDub19 error key estimation and reconciliation protocol that improves performances of practical quantum systems.