AIM To estimate prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm twins compared to preterm singletons. METHODS This is a retrospective observational point prevalence study conducted at the level of three neonatal intensive care units. Medical records of all preterm newborns (<37 weeks of gestation) with respiratory distress syndrome treated in a two-year period were reviewed. The birth order of twins, gestational age and mortality were analysed. RESULTS Out of 809 preterm newborns, 104 (12.9%) were twins. Median gestational age at birth was 30.3 (IQR 31.4-34.2) weeks. Respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed in 525 (64.9 %) preterm newborns, of which 441 singletons and 84 twins. Prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome in first-born twins was not significantly higher compared with singletons, 67.3% (35/52) vs. 62.6 % (441/705), respectively (p=0.06). Prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome in second-born twins was 94.2 % (49/52), which was significantly higher compared with both singletons and first-born twins (p<0.001). The mortality rate of preterm newborns was significantly higher in second-born twins compared with singletons and first-born twins, 15.4 % vs. 6.8 % (p<0.001) and 15.4 % vs. 5.5% (p<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION There was a higher risk of respiratory distress syndrome and higher mortality rate in twins compared with singletons, but only in second-born twins the difference was statistically significant.

<jats:p>First, we present a method for obtaining a canonical set of root functions and Jordan chains of the invertible matrix polynomial <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>(<jats:italic>z</jats:italic>) through elementary transformations of the matrix <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>(<jats:italic>z</jats:italic>) alone. This method provides a new and simple approach to deriving a general solution of the system of ordinary linear differential equations <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$L\left( \frac{d}{dt}\right) u=0$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mfrac> <mml:mi>d</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>dt</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mfrac> </mml:mfenced> <mml:mi>u</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, where <jats:italic>u</jats:italic>(<jats:italic>t</jats:italic>) is <jats:italic>n</jats:italic>-dimensional unknown function. We illustrate the effectiveness of this method by applying it to solve a high-order linear system of ODEs. Second, given a matrix generalized Nevanlinna function <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$Q\in N_{\kappa }^{n \times n}$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Q</mml:mi> <mml:mo>∈</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>κ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, that satisfies certain conditions at <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$\infty $$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>∞</mml:mi> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, and a canonical set of root functions of <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$\hat{Q}(z):= -Q(z)^{-1}$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>Q</mml:mi> <mml:mo>^</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>Q</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, we construct the corresponding Pontryagin space <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$(\mathcal {K}, [.,.])$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mo>[</mml:mo> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:mo>]</mml:mo> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, a self-adjoint operator <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$A:\mathcal {K}\rightarrow \mathcal {K}$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>A</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, and an operator <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$\Gamma : \mathbb {C}^{n}\rightarrow \mathcal {K}$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Γ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>C</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>, that represent the function <jats:italic>Q</jats:italic>(<jats:italic>z</jats:italic>) in a Krein–Langer type representation. We illustrate the application of main results with examples involving concrete matrix polynomials <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>(<jats:italic>z</jats:italic>) and their inverses, defined as <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:tex-math>$$Q(z):=\hat{L}(z):= -L(z)^{-1}$$</jats:tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>Q</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:mo>^</mml:mo> </mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </jats:alternatives> </jats:inline-formula>.</jats:p>

AIM To investigate whether the radiographic progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) correlates with inflammatory markers and other laboratory values, and its association with treatment modalities. METHODS This observational study included 125 patients with seropositive RA. Data were obtained from patients' medical records from the year of 2022. Inclusion criteria were patients with seropositive RA who had attended follow-up with a rheumatologist. Basic patient data were collected: gender, age, duration of RA, hospital admission, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and X-ray stage of RA. Stages of RA are defined by the American College of Rheumatology and they ranged from stage 1, which represents no destructive changes on X-ray, up to stage 4 where bony or fibrous ankylosis is present. RESULTS There were no differences in X-ray stages of RA between genders. Patients with a higher X-ray stage were younger and had a longer duration of illness. Patients in stages III and IV had higher systolic blood pressure (BP), patients in stage IV had higher diastolic BP. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were higher in X-ray stages II-IV compared to stage I. The patients treated with methotrexate had higher radiographic stages. CONCLUSION X-ray changes can be associated with CRP and ESR levels, since structural damage is related to RA disease activity and functional disability. The use of newer treatment modalities may be required to stop the radiographic progression of RA.

A blend of creatine nitrate and creatinine has demonstrated promising bioavailability; however, prior studies have not thoroughly examined its pharmacokinetics and safety profiles, particularly its impact on kidney stress indicators, such as serum cystatin C. This study aimed to assess the effects of varying doses of creatine nitrate-creatinine intervention on pharmacokinetics and safety in healthy humans. Ten young adults (mean age 26.1 ± 5.0 years; 5 females) volunteered for this double-blind, crossover, randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a low-dose creatine nitrate-creatinine mixture (CN-CRN-Low; 1.5 g of creatine nitrate and 1.5 g of creatinine), a high-dose creatine nitrate-creatinine mixture (CN-CRN-High; 3 g of creatine nitrate and 3 g of creatinine), or 1.5 g of creatine nitrate (CONTROL) in both a single-dose pharmacokinetics experiment, and a 14-day safety trial. Both CN-CRN-Low and CN-CRN-High interventions displayed increased volume of distribution and total clearance compared to the CONTROL intervention (P < 0.05) in a single-dose pharmacokinetics experiment. Additionally, the CN-CRN-High intervention showed significantly higher creatine maximum serum concentrations compared to the other interventions (P < 0.05). Serum cystatin C levels remained unchanged across all interventions (P = 0.65), with no participants experiencing abnormal cystatin C concentrations or major changes in other safety biomarkers. The present study demonstrates dose-specific utilization of creatine nitrate-creatinine intervention, with the mixture induced no kidney damage. Further studies are needed to explore the potential functional and performance benefits of creatine nitrate-creatinine supplementation in diverse clinical and athletic cohorts.

In this paper, the authors focused on the concept, that is, the objective-subjective conception of the criminal offense of possession and enabling the enjoyment of narcotic drugs in the criminal law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special emphasis on the detection and proof of this criminal offense. When considering the definition of the concept and abuse of narcotic drugs, the general social context was taken into account in order to properly understand the criminal law (substantive) and criminal procedural nature of this incrimination. In the criminal law (substantive) context, this criminal offense is specific for the reason that the legislator prescribed the actions of incitement and assistance, which are, by their nature, the actions of complicity, in this case, that is, in the case of this criminal offense - as independent actions. In addition, an analysis of the legal text and a brief comparative review is made. According to the above, the paper points out uneven or different legal solutions in the entity criminal laws and the law of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the discovery phase, the complexity of gathering the initial information that indicates the existence of grounds for suspicion as a substantive legal condition for initiating and conducting an investigation, was emphasized. With regard to the implementation of certain criminal procedural actions, an update of the collection of necessary evidence, as well as the burden of proving this criminal offense and guilt, has been given.

This study aimed to determine the influence of body composition on the muscle fitness of selected judokas. This study was conducted on a sample of 23 judokas (cadets n = 12, juniors n = 11), members of the male national team of Serbia. The assessment of body composition was performed using the InBody 720 (Biospace Co., Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea) and calipers. Muscle fitness was assessed using “Optojump” (Microgate, Bolzano, Italy), Fitrodine Premium (Fitronic, Bratislava, Slovakia), and a digital force instrument IMADA Z2H-1100 (Imada Inc., Northbrook, IL, USA). Regression analysis revealed a notable association between muscle mass and measures of explosive strength (countermovement jump (CMJ) p = 0.023; drop jump (DJ) p = 0.026). Moreover, this study’s results showed that back extension (p = 0.006; R2 = 0.61) and hand grip (p = 0.009; R2 = 0.52) provide a strong positive association with muscle mass. The findings suggest that tailored training and nutritional strategies that improve muscle mass might significantly enhance muscle fitness in young judokas, optimizing their performance.

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) often results in significant pain and disability, and histopathologic (HP) evaluation of intervertebral discs (IVDs) offers critical insights into treatment outcomes. This prospective observational study explores HP changes in IVDs and their association with clinical outcomes following surgical treatment for LDH. A cohort of 141 patients undergoing MRI-confirmed LDH surgery underwent HP evaluation using a semi-quantitative HP degeneration score (HDS). Preoperatively and at a six-month follow-up, the comprehensive clinical assessment included the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS), with a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) calculated from ODI and VAS. Results indicated significant associations between higher HDS and adverse clinical outcomes, including persistent pain and greater disability post-surgery. Specifically, an HDS ≥ 7 was predictive (OR ═ 6.25, 95% CI: 2.56–15.23) of disability outcomes measured with MCID-ODI (AUC: 0.692, 95% CI: 0.609–0.767, P < 0.001), and HDS ≥ 8 was predictive (OR ═ 1.72, 95% CI: 1.04–2.77) of persistent pain measured with MCID-VAS (AUC ═ 0.628, 95% CI: 0.598–0.737, P ═ 0.008), highlighting the diagnostic potential of HDS in assessing postoperative recovery. This study underscores the potential of HP evaluation using HDS to provide valuable insights into disease progression and outcomes in LDH patients, complementing conventional radiologic methods. The findings support the application of personalized treatment strategies based on HP findings while acknowledging challenges in interpretation and clinical implementation.

Introduction: asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract in children. The clinical manifestation of asthma is closely related to the pathomorphological changes presenting the basis of the disease, and it concerns the difficult air flow through the lower airways during the expiratory phase of breathing. Inadequate treatment of children who have asthma affects the appearance of remodeling of the lower airways and, in the most severe cases, permanent reduction of the lung function values. The Aim is to determine the influence of prematurity and GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene polymorphisms on the degree of asthma control. Materials and Methods: The research was designed as a clinical, cohort, observational, retrospective-prospective study. It included 200 patients divided into two groups of one hundred respondents each. The first group of respondents consisted of premature children hospitalized at the Department of Neonatal Intensive Care of the CCUS Pediatric Clinic due to respiratory problems caused by immaturity. In contrast, the second group consisted of at-term-born children monitored through the Pulmonary Counselling of the Pediatric Clinic. Results: The male and female genders were equally represented. In the premature children group, respiratory support was used in 60/100 (60%) cases. GSTT1 polymorphism was proven in 150 respondents, and GSTM1 polymorphism in 98. Fisher's test showed that gestational age at birth significantly influenced asthma control: the test value was 11.281, p=0.019. Conclusion: gestation weeks at birth have a statistically significant effect on the degree of asthma control at older age. Although poorly controlled asthma and uncontrolled asthma were more prevalent in children with positive GSTT1 and GSM1 gene polymorphisms, we could not demonstrate a statistically significant influence of the mentioned polymorphisms on the degree of asthma control.

The Bosnian and Bosniak writer Jasmina Musabegović (1941-2023) is known to the cultural public of Bosnia and Herzegovina for her novels, essays, and translations from the French language. It is less known, however, that a small collection of lullabies in the Bosnian language is also attributed to Musabegović's research and writing work. The aforementioned collection was published by BZK „Preporod“(Bosniaks' Cultural Society „Preporod“) in 1997 in Sarajevo, with the editorial supervision of literary historian and folklorist Munib Maglajlić. In this paper, the aforementioned collection of writer Jasmina Musabegović will be presented through a thematic analysis of selected poems on a literary-poetic level, and then it will go into the broader context of the overall work of the collected folk lullabies among the Bosniaks so far. The most frequent themes and motifs also will be reviewed within the entire corpus related to that material. With this approach, we tried to draw attention to Musabegović's cultural contribution, which, apart from her literary work, was also reflected in her collection of folk wisdom.

Ever since Tommy Orange’s novel There There was published in 2018, Native American urban experience has been pointed out as the novel’s crux. The characters in the novel are Native American but most of them feel estranged from the community since they do not live on reservations, whereby the general implication is that reservations have become ossified as identity markers for many Native Americans. This paper aims to analyze how the novel’s characters use urban areas to create spaces of belonging, thus debunking the myth of the “reservation Indian”. Aided by Edward Soja’s theories on Thirdspace and Robert Tally’s theory of topophrenia, the paper discusses regional powwows, non-profit organizations, American Indian cultural centers, and digital storytelling/narrativization as specific examples of the subject’s awareness of space, their engagement and inscription into space through the practices mentioned above.

En tant qu’éditrice à la maison d’édition Svjetlost, basée à Sarajevo, écrivaine, critique littéraire et traductrice de langue française, Jasmina Musabegović a élargi les horizons culturels du public de lecture dans les années 80 et 90 du XXe siècle, tant en Bosnie-Herzégovine qu’en l’ex-Yougoslavie. Son lien avec la langue et la culture française commence avec son séjour à Paris et ses travaux de recherche sur Rastko Petrović, écrivain d’avant-garde serbe proche des surréalistes français. Grâce à sa sensibilité éditoriale, le public a pu découvrir des écrivains, philosophes, théoriciens français contemporains et généralement francophones, notamment à travers les éditions «Raskršća» et «Feniks». Cet aspect de son travail se caractérise par une imbrication complète de ses activités d’écrivain, de traductrice et d’éditrice.

The paper describes the continuous attacks on the socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its political leadership during the eighties of the last century. The destabilization of the B&H communist leadership was conducted from the power centers in Belgrade - primarily from the intellectual centers and through the media. The leadership of this republic is described as extremely repressive, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the so-called dark province, in which intellectual creativity and any criticism of the system and government is prohibited. At that time, Yugoslavia was in an extremely unfavorable economic position, but in the Serbian media, BiH was presented as an exception compared to most other republics in the Federation. In addition, BiH was presented as a non-national republic, and there were frequent stereotypes and negative content about Muslims, who were the majority people of this republic. Numerous events were turned into affairs, which weakened the leadership and destroyed the Bosnian society.

Introduction: Emergency medicine is a dynamic specialty that offers various medical cases and situations. Emergency medicine doctors treat patients from all age groups and with a large spectrum of physical and mental disorders. Emergency medicine is the specialty of treating illnesses or injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency medicine doctors assess and treat patients in the emergency department, regardless of their illness or injury type. Their main focus is to stabilize patients as quickly as possible and determine the best next step in treating many patients simultaneously, with life-threatening conditions being the main priority. Emergency physicians treat all medical conditions of all age groups, such as cardiology, neurological, pulmonological, nephrological, endocrinological, hematological, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, gynecological-obstetrical, dermatological, psychiatric, traumatological, and accidental conditions.  Efforts should be made to reduce the accumulation of ED with a solid organizational culture; rather than adopting “generic” approaches, interventions should be selected and implemented to address the unique challenges of each hospital ED. Emergency medicine can potentially improve patient care and outcomes; however, establishing evidence-based protocols and a multidisciplinary approach to patient management are essential. Creating long-term health policies to regulate the referral system through the national plan and document would regulate the three levels of health care to stop the overcrowding of the hospital's ED.