The Bosnian alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris reiseri) is endemic to Prokoško Lake (Mt. Vranica, Bosnia & Herzegovina); its evolutionary history is partially clarified and its taxonomic position remains unclear. Due to severe anthropogenic pressures on Mt. Vranica (fish introduction in Prokoško Lake, pollution), it has been assumed that this form of Alpine newt is extinct from the Lake. Nevertheless, some specimens originating from Prokoško Lake are still maintained in captivity in two European zoos and by several private keepers. The main goals of the present study are: (1) to investigate the presence of Alpine newts in the Prokoško Lake and the wider area of Mt. Vranica, (2) to conduct phylogenetic analysis on found specimens of Alpine newts in relation to other Balkan populations. Newts were not registered inside Prokoško Lake but several individuals were found in water bodies surrounding the Lake. Genetic analysis shows that these individuals carry the same haplotype as Alpine newts from a captive population originating from Prokoško Lake. All the Alpine newts originating from mt. Vranica are monophyletic on mtDNA markers, hence form an Evolutionary Significant Unit within I. alpestris that is of specific conservation importance. Results corroborate previous findings concerning the complex pattern of genetic diversity of Alpine newt populations in the Balkans that is poorly understood.

Abstract Background: In the last few decades, many techniques have been developed to correct prominent ear deformities. Modified Chong-Chet otoplasty represents a new and improved classical Chong-Chet procedure for prominent ear surgery. This study evaluates and compares the long-term results of standard Chong-Chet otoplasty with the modified technique. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients undergoing otoplasty at the Special Hospital S-tetik Banja Luka between January 17, 2017, and February 5, 2019. The total number of patients undergoing the procedure was 129. The first group (48 patients) underwent otoplasty using the Chong-Chet technique, while the second group (81 patients) underwent a modified Chong-Chet procedure. All patients were randomly selected on the condition that the antihelix was absent. The data were processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 24 using nonparametric tests (χ2 test, Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test). Results: Every second patient was satisfied (19 patients were partially satisfied and five patients were completely satisfied) with the results of the classical Chong-Chet technique. Seven patients were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, while 17 patients were dissatisfied (11 patients were completely dissatisfied and 6 patients were mostly dissatisfied). As for the modified method, on average, nine out of 10 patients (73 or 90.1%) were satisfied, of which 49 patients (60.5%) were completely satisfied and 24 patients (29.6%) were mostly satisfied. The statistical significance was P < .05. Research results point to the modified Chong-Chet technique being a significant improvement to the classical method. Conclusion: Modified Chong-Chet technique increases the number of positive long-term results and significantly improves the standard method.

Torque teno virus (TTV) is a group of chronically persisting viruses with a short circular DNA genome. TTV demonstrates a wide sequence diversity and a large majority of humans are chronically infected by one or more types of TTV. As TTV is ubiquitous, and viral replication correlates with immune status, TTV has been studied as a marker to assess global functional immune competence in transplant recipients. Most studies of the prevalence, amounts, and variation in TTV have been performed using PCR assays. We here present a comparison of the most frequently used quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for TTV with shotgun metagenomic sequencing for detection and characterization of TTV in a cohort of pediatric cancer patients. The results show that TTV is more common than the qPCR assays indicate, and analysis of the TTV genome sequences indicate that a qPCR with primers and probe designed on a conserved region of the TTV genome may fail to detect some of the TTV strains found in this study.

Introduction: Both Dasatinib (DA), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is used for targeted cancer therapy, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor that is an immune checkpoint therapy, play a vital role in the management of several types of solid tumors, including breast. Nevertheless, the combined outcome of DA and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in human carcinomas has not been explored yet. Materials and methods: We herein compared the individual impact of DA and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (BMS-202) with their combination on two human HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines, SKBR3 and ZR75. Results: Our data revealed that the combination of DA and BMS-202 significantly inhibits cell proliferation in both cell lines as compared to mono treatment and/or untreated cells. Moreover, we observed that combination treatment prevents the progression of “epithelial-mesenchymal transition” (EMT), which is a hallmark of cell invasion and cancer progression. Our data reveal that DA and BMS-202 together dramatically inhibit cell invasion of SKBR3 and ZR75 cells; this is accompanied by the up-regulation of E-cadherin and its restoration along with b-catenin on the cell membrane and its undercoat, respectively, in addition to the downregulation of vimentin, which are major markers of EMT. Additionally, we found that the synergistic treatment of DA and BMS-202 inhibits colony formation of both cell lines in comparison with their matched control. Conclusion: Our findings implicate that, in comparison to monotreatment, combination of DA and BMS-202 could have a significant impact on the management of HER2-positive breast cancer via HER2 inactivation and specifically b-catenin signaling pathways.

Abstract Background Translations of instruments for measuring quality of life developed in certain, mostly more developed, parts of the world usually do not cover regionally specific aspects of health-related quality of life, even after transcultural validation. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reliable questionnaire in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin languages suitable for measuring health-related quality of life in adults. Methods The study was of a cross-sectional type, assessing the reliability and validity of a newly developed questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults residing in western Balkan states (WB-HRQoL). It was conducted on a sample of 489 adults from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, with a mean age of 52.2±14.4 years and a male/female ratio of 195/294 (39.9%/60.1%). Result The definitive version of the WB-HRQoL scale with 19 items showed very good reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha 0.905. The scale was temporally stable, and satisfactory results were obtained for divergent and convergent validity tests. Exploratory factorial analysis brought to the surface four domains of health-related quality of life, namely the physical, psychical, social, and environmental. Conclusion The WB-HRQoL scale is a reliable and valid generic instrument for measuring HRQoL that takes into account the cultural specifics of the western Balkan region.

The growing population and increasing demand for surface transportation have highlighted the importance of maintaining safe and reliable civil infrastructures for daily use. Among all civil infrastructures, bridges are one of the most important elements in the transportation system. As such, to prevent any failures caused by aging and environmental impacts, bridges require periodic inspections. This becomes even more critical due to climate change and its effect on bridges, especially in the coastal regions. Most of the inspections conducted incorporate the visual type of evaluation due to its simplicity. However, with the current developments in new technologies, there is a need for more advanced techniques of structural health monitoring (SHM) methods to be incorporated in the maintenance programs for more accurate and efficient surveys. In this paper, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods applicable to steel bridges are reviewed, with a focus on methods applicable to local damage detection. Moreover, the methodology, advantages and disadvantages, and up-to-date research on NDT methods are presented. Furthermore, the application of novel NDT techniques using innovative sensors, drones, and robots for the rapid and efficient assessment of damages on small and large scales is emphasized. This study is deemed necessary as it compiles in one place the available information regarding NDT methods for in-service steel bridges. Access to such information is critical for researchers who intend to work on new or improved NDT techniques.

The energy efficiency exemplifies a worldwide and complex phenomenon. It is paramount for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the former socialist and semi-developed country being situated in the Balkan region of the Southeastern Europe (SE). Buildings in the Balkan, including BiH, represent about 50 percent of the aggregate energy consumption. Estimated energy savings are projected to be between 20 and 40 percent. The research problem discussed in this work aims at the introduction of the existing or the improvement of the present strategies dealing with the energy efficiency. Thorough evaluation – literature review, of versatile resources, academic journal papers, government and private works, etc., was conducted. The inclusion and operation of funds addressing energy efficiency is of paramount importance. In that context the creation of statewide agency is deemed to be crucial to be responsible for the administration of the assistance of the European Union (EU) and the management of national energy efficiency action plan (NEEAP). Unfortunately, it cannot identify the totality of all-important external factors relating to the status of energy efficiency. Introduction of the energy management system (EMS) is another avenue worth exploring. 

Generation of an elliptically polarized attosecond pulse train by an orthogonally polarized two-color (OTC) laser field is investigated theoretically and simulated numerically. The OTC field consists of two linearly polarized fields with orthogonal polarizations and frequencies that are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency ω. For the ω−3ω OTC field, the emitted harmonics are elliptically polarized so that they may form an elliptically polarized attosecond pulse train provided that a group of harmonics is phase-locked. This is the case if only one quantum orbit generates the corresponding part of the harmonic spectrum. If so, then two attosecond pulses are emitted per optical cycle due to the dynamical symmetry of the ω−3ω OTC field. Atomic targets with an s ground state only generate attosecond pulses with almost linear polarization. Using, however, targets with a p ground state, attosecond pulses with substantial ellipticity can be produced because ground states with opposite magnetic quantum numbers m=+1 and m=−1 produce harmonics with opposite helicities at different rates. In this case, the harmonic intensity and harmonic ellipticity are different for the ground states with the magnetic quantum number m=±1. These differences are the source of the attosecond pulse ellipticity and can be controlled using the relative phase as a control parameter. In addition, by choosing a particular group of harmonics, one can select the desired ellipticity of the attosecond pulse train.

The hands are anatomically specialized for manipulative tasks with different physical objects, where they can cope with certain loads with different forces and intensity. During various physical and sports activities, the hands produce the appropriate muscular force for gripping, which manifests as the hand grip's force. For this reason, hand grip strength (HGS) is recognized as a limiting factor in all manipulative activities performed by the cranial part of the body. The current research included a sample of 22 subjects, 16 male Body Height (BH=180.28±4.65cm); Body Weight (BW=80.05±9.96kg), Body Mass Index (BMI=24.61±2.74kg/m²) and 6 female subjects Body Height (BH=167.42±11.11cm); Body Weight (BW=64.80±10.09kg); Body Mass Index (BMI=23.02±1.57kg/m²) on the third year of study at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports. This study aimed to determine the maximum isometric muscle force of the handgrip and differences between the same gender of students. A t-test for small samples was applied for data processing, and the relevant statistical parameters were calculated. The obtained t-test results confirmed statistically significant differences between the so-called dominant and non-dominant hands in male subjects (t=4.158; p<0.05) and female subjects (t=3.176; p<0.05). The obtained results of this research will be used for analytical and diagnostic purposes with a wide range of activities in the population of physical education and sports students (assessment of physical ability, trends, and tendencies to monitor and change abilities, influence on the implementation of certain curricula of some subjects studied at the faculty, etc.).