Background/Aim. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that can cause destructive joint disease and progressive disability. The diagnosis of RA is based on laboratory and clinical evidence, which includes the analysis of inflammatory markers, hematological, and biochemical parameters. Methods. Fifty patients diagnosed with RA without methotrexate (MTX) therapy and 50 patients with therapy (MTX, 7.5 mg/week; after three months prednisolone 10 mg/day) were included in this study. After six months of therapy, inflammatory biomarkers, hematological, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Results. Inflammatory biomarkers: sedimentation rate (SE), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) are significantly lower in the group of patients on therapy compared to patients without MTX therapy. Significant differences were not found for the rheumatoid factor (RF). Significant differences were not found for hematological parameters between the compared groups. Analysis of serum biochemical parameters showed significant differences for aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and iron values. In patients without MTX therapy, the incidence of anemia was recorded in 68%, which is significantly higher than the incidence of 32% in patients with therapy. Conclusion. Prescribed therapy has shown effectiveness in the treatment of RA and reduction of the inflammatory process. The success of the treatment depends on the timely diagnosis of RA. Postponement of therapy and late-detected disease prolongs therapy treatment and often requires a combination of several drugs.

The critical role of high-voltage circuit breakers in the power grid underscores the need for reliable and efficient methods to assess their condition and operational parameters. To support the integration of smart grid concepts and enable condition assessment during circuit breaker exploitation, non-invasive approaches are essential. Among these, methods leveraging vibration fingerprints generated during the opening or closing of circuit breakers have shown significant promise. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art research in this area, systematically analyzing over 100 influential works from the past two decades. The survey categorizes these methods based on their domain-specific approaches and highlights key challenges related to signal analysis, data acquisition, feature extraction, interpretation, and reasoning. By offering a structured analysis, this survey serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, providing insights and direction for future advancements in this niche field.

Red clover is an important perennial fodder plant for the production of quality fodder. Since it can be successfully produced even on soils of poorer quality, it is increasingly present in the sowing structure, primarily in hilly and mountainous areas. Trials were carried out on eight genotypes of red clover over several years. There were no significant differences between the average values of stem thickness and plant height of the two first cuttings from the two experimental years. The first cutting of the second year had the highest height (80.0 cm). Genotype 1 had the highest average height (78.0 cm) and leaflet length (45.52 mm). Genotype 6 had the lowest average plant height (74.0 cm), number of stems (7.15), stem thickness (3.31 mm) and leaflet length (36.68 mm). Genotypes 6 and 8 had the widest leaflet in the first cut of the second year of testing (28.94 and 28.93 mm). Aside from plant height, no significant differences were found between the genotypes. Nevertheless, all other examined variables showed statistically significant differences across clover cuttings and genotypes. The average values of the number of stems per plant, the length and width of leaflet in the first clover cut of the first year, and second clover cut of the second year were not statistically significantly different. Red clover is most productive in the first cutting of the second year of life, as confirmed by these investigations, which yielded the greatest values for the majority of the investigated features.

Background: Gentamicin is a potent, broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic used in the treatment of many infections. Gentamicin can induce hepatotoxicity through oxidative stress and apoptosis. Since melatonin has antioxidant properties, its protective effects on liver tissue damage were evaluated in this study. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct our investigation to assess the hepatoprotective effects of melatonin in rats treated with gentamicin. Methods: Forty eight adult male Wistar rats were used. The animals were randomly distributed into six groups of equal size. During the period of 11 days, three control groups of rats were daily injected i.p. with the vehicle or with melatonin at a dose of 5 or 10 mg/kg. The gentamicin group was injected with gentamicin at a dose of 80 mg/kg during 8 days and vehicle for 11 days. The other two experimental groups were administered gentamicin (80 mg/kg during) 8 days and melatonin (doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg) 3 days before and 8 days concomitantly with melatonin. Obtained liver sections were analyzed using qualitative, semi-quantitative, and stereological analysis. Results: Gentamicin expressed hepatotoxic effects inducing congestion of lobular blood vessels, hydropic degeneration of periportal hepatocytes and mononuclear infiltration in the portal tract. Treatment with gentamicin resulted in an increase in the Vv of blood vessels, a decrease in the Vv of hepatocytes, and a decrease in the glycogen content in all three lobular zones. Melatonin administration reduced the liver alterations induced by gentamicin; the higher dose had a more potent protective effect. Conclusion: Melatonin has a beneficial effect on gentamicin-induced liver damage and the effect is dose-dependent.

Background: The scientific knowledge was improving because is the base doubles every 5 to 6 years, and in some domains of medicine even faster. So, it is simply no longer possible to „inject“ all medical knowledge into students, regardless of their previous educational level. Educating medical students is process which depands of assessing appropriate changes in medical education. Objective: The purpose of this article was to present the role of the learning process of "acquiring knowledge or abilities or modifying behavior through to dayly practice“, because the traditional or classic way of studying medicine implies the oral and practical transfer of knowledge and skills from educators to students. Methods: The author used the most influential index databases as a source for collecting of relevant facts about important Information-Communication Technologies (ICTs) which today commonly and actualy used in practice for educational process in the current fields of biomedicine worldwide. Results and Discussion: Modern information technologies (IT) have enabled faster, more reliable and comprehensive data collection. These technologies have started to create a large number of irrelevant information, which represents a limiting factor and a real growing gap, between the medical knowledge on one hand, and the ability of doctors to follow its growth on the other. The term technology is generally reserved for its technical component. Education means, learning, teaching, or the process of acquiring skills or behavior modification through various exercises. Traditionally, medical education meant the oral, practical and more passive transferring of knowledge and skills from the educators to students and health professionals. For the clinical disciplines, of special importance are the principles, such as "learning at bedside", aided by the medical literature. In doing so, these techniques enable students to contact with their teachers, and to refer to the appropriate literature. The disadvantage of these educational methods is in the fact, that teachers often do not have enough time. Additionally they are not very convenient to the horizontal and vertical integration of teaching, create weak or almost no self education, as well as, low skill levels and poor integration of education with a real social environment. Conclusion: In this paper authors described application of modern ICTs in medical education and their advantages and disadvantages comparing with traditional ways of education. In clinical medicine, „learning at the patient's bedside“ is especially important, whereby knowledge is expanded and supplemented with appropriate medical literature. In the all fields of biomedicine in recent decades are in significant correlation with the advances in the information technologies. Current biomedicine studies must be given a solid foundation in the field of using computer's technologies to improve process information, support decision-making, select the right treatments, and develop their abilities to the students as "lifelong learners".

Kupres cheese is hard, full-fat cheese made at Kupres plateau, rich in pastures region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In last decades this cheese became popular among consumers and known by its quality which was proven by manny awards and recognitions obtained at exibitions and fairs in wider region. While its technology, chemical composition and sensory quality are already described in some paper’s articles data on its physical properties related to sensory profile are yet scarce. Thus, the aim of this work is to give an overwiev of the history data, chemical and sensory features with emphasize to new results on physical properties of Kupres cheese and their connection with sensory quality.

: Legal metrology ensures consumer protection from inaccurate measurements by regulating numerous instruments, some under EU harmonized legislation and others governed by national decisions based on the International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML) recommendations. Verification laboratories produce measurement reports, often in unstructured PDF formats. Exploring and analyzing these reports remains inherently tedious and error-prone due to their format as numerous unstructured PDF files. To address these challenges, we introduce ScaleVis, a system combining standard and specialized visualizations to facilitate the exploration and analysis of measurement data including spatial information relevant to eccentricity measurements. The system incorporates data cleaning to resolve inconsistencies from manual entry and provides insights into measurement trends and deviations. Focusing on non-automatic weighing instruments, we analyze verification results to identify significant deviations in linearity and eccentricity. This study focuses on the analysis of non-automatic weighing instruments from various manufacturers and application domains. Using verification results from competent laboratories, we examine the metrological behavior of these instruments, identifying the ranges of linearity and eccentricities with the largest deviations from prescribed errors. A use case with domain experts underscores ScaleVis’s potential to streamline data analysis in legal metrology, with initial feedback indicating strong utility and effectiveness.

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication after cardiac surgery, increasing morbidity, ICU stay, dialysis need, hospitalization length, and costs. Despite prophylactic strategies, POAF incidence remains high, especially in moderate and high risk patients. Objective: To assess the effect of amiodarone on POAF incidence and onset timing in moderate and high risk patients. Methods: This prospective observational study included 454 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Risk stratification of patients was based on the McSPI AFRisk Index, compared with the POAF Score and CHA2DS2-VASc Score. Moderate and high risk patients received amiodarone in combination with beta blockers (Amiodarone group), while low risk patients received beta blockers only. The primary outcome was POAF incidence, analyzed via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. Secondary analysis compared POAF rates between groups using the χ2 test. Results: POAF occurred in 5.95% of the Amiodarone group versus 9.25% in the beta blocker group (overall incidence: 15.2%). The relative risk reduction was 27% (RR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.105-0.689, p = 0.006). POAF incidence was significantly lower in the Amiodarone group (p = 0.008, χ2 test). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed delayed POAF onset in the Amiodarone group (median: 48h vs. 33h, p = 0.0007). Cox regression confirmed a 73% lower risk of early POAF (HR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.105-0.689, p = 0.006). Conclusion: Amiodarone combined with beta blockers reduces POAF incidence and delays its onset after CABG. Keywords: POAF, CABG, amiodarone, risk stratification. Keywords: Body Dysmorphia, PCOS patients, prevalence.

Background: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSC) is the leading malignant tumour of the head and neck. Establishing new biomarkers is extremely important because they can be important for early diagnosis and prognosis of LSC. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the significance of cytokeratin fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) in the early diagnosis and prognosis of LSC. Methods: This was prospective research involving 35 patients of both sexes with pathohistologically confirmed LSC, who were treated in the period from 2022 to 2024. The control group consisted of 30 patients who underwent surgery for other non-malignant diseases and who had a normal indirect laryngoscopy findings. The levels of CYFRA 21-1 were determined for three time periods: preoperative, four weeks after surgery, and three months after radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy. For the statistical analysis of data we used descriptive statistics methods, the Student T-test and the χ2 test to calculate the significance of the tested differences, where differences on the level of p<0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Results: Statistically significantly higher mean serum levels of CYFRA 21-1 were found preoperatively in the experimental group in comparison with the control group (p<0.001). Statistically significant lower levels of CYFRA 21-1 were found four weeks after surgery in the experimental group in comparison with preoperative levels (p=0.004). A statistically significant decrease in serum levels of CYFRA 21-1 was also found three months after radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy in comparison with the preoperative levels (p=0.001). The serum levels of CYFRA 21-1 were statistically significantly higher preoperatively in patients with stage III/IV of the disease in comparison with stage I/II (p<0.001). Conclusion: Increased levels of CYFRA 21-1 are a significant indication of the presence of LSC, especially in patients with advanced stages of the disease.

Background: Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG) via left anterior thoracotomy has emerged as a less invasive alternative to conventional open sternotomy (OPEN CABG), offering potential benefits in perioperative outcomes and complication rates. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare procedural characteristics, ventilation duration, drainage volumes, and postoperative complications between MICS CABG and OPEN CABG in a single-center cohort in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 262 patients who underwent surgical revascularization between January 2019 and June 2023. Results. MICS CABG was associated with a shorter median procedure time (2.5 vs. 3.5 hours, p<0.001) and reduced mechanical ventilation duration (11.0 vs. 14.0 hours, p<0.001). Although ICU stay was similar (3.0 days, p=0.001), total hospitalization was shorter for MICS CABG (6.0 vs. 7.0 days, p<0.001). Postoperative drainage was significantly lower at all measured time points (p<0.05), and transfusion requirements were reduced for red blood cells (0 vs. 2 units, p<0.001), fresh frozen plasma (0 vs. 2.5 units, p<0.001), and platelets (p=0.035). Use of inotropic agents was less frequent in MICS CABG, both at low (50.4% vs. 62.8%, p=0.043) and medium doses (4.0% vs. 16.0%, p=0.001). Wound infections were numerically lower in the MICS group (p=0.437). Conclusions. Compared to open sternotomy, MICS CABG demonstrated significant advantages in operative time, ventilation duration, blood loss, and complication rates, supporting its role as a safe and effective alternative for coronary revascularization.

Background: Date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are a widely available product that contains numerous macronutrients including a high sugar content. Research has shown that date fruit extracts possess antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as antimutagenic and antiatherogenic effects. Date fruit can also have a beneficial effect on the female reproductive system. Several studies have examined the impact of date consumption during pregnancy on the outcome of labor, providing useful results. Objective: This study aims to determine the effects of date fruit consumption on the onset and progression of labor. Methods: The study included 120 pregnant women who were pregnant at GAK Sarajevo, in the period from 01.01. 2020 to 31.12. 2020. The patients were divided into two groups, the first group of 60 patients who consumed 6 dates during the last four weeks of pregnancy, and the second group of 60 patients who did not consume dates during pregnancy. Results: There was a significant positive effect of consuming date fruits on maternal outcomes in the first and third stages of labor. The group of pregnant women who consumed dates had a shortened latent phase of labor, which meant that their cervix reached maximum dilation (10 cm) faster. Pregnant women in this group gave birth 8.5 hours faster than pregnant women who did not consume dates, in whom labor lasted about 15 hours. Of the 60 pregnant women in the first group, 60% had a spontaneous natural birth, and only 40% of the patients received oxytocin, because dates enhance the effect of oxytocin, which is responsible for uterine contractions. Conclusion: This study showed a promising effect of consuming date fruits on the duration of the stages of labor. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids found in dates stimulate the production of prostaglandins, which are necessary for labor. Dates are also rich in folic acid, vitamin K, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

This review is remembrance on occasion of 35 years of MIE ‘90 held in Glasgow which organized by UK and Scottish Association of Medical Informatics, and chaired by John Bryden and his team with support by European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI). It was my first participation at MIE Conferences, in that time as General Secretary of Yugoslav Association of Medical Informatics (YAMI) and officially accepted as a member of EFMI and IMIA. Besides our President of YAMI, Professor Gjuro Dezelic, one of founders YAMI (with Izet Masic, Stefan Adamic, Rajko Vukasinovic, as presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenian and Serbian Societies of Medical Informatics in 1987) participants at MIE ‘90 have been, also, our colleagues: Josipa Kern, Nada Dezelic, Silvije Vuletic, Visnja Lovrek, Miroslav Madjaric, etc. It was my first active participation at MIE Conferences, and after this meeting, year by year I continued until today. Let me say some important facts about it as my personal story -„Medical Informatics Journey“, during the last 35 years, from Glasgow 1990 until today.

Background: T Measles is a viral, highly contagious disease from the group of rash fevers, which mainly affects children. Persons suffering from measles are considered contagious four days before and four days during the period of the appearance of measles, which favors its faster spread. Clinical observation and laboratory diagnostics are essential for monitoring the course of the disease in order to prevent complications. Objective: Our study aimed to analyze the significance and usefulness of laboratory tests on admission to hospital in pediatric patients with measles. Methods: This prospective study included children with confirmed measles infection who came accompanied by parents to the Infectious Disease Clinic of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo during nine months. Data on age, sex, symptoms and results of laboratory analyzes (biochemical, hematological and coagulation) were recorded. Results: The study included a total of 302 subjects, including 122 healthy controls and 180 measles patients. Significantly lower values observed for aPTT, absolute number of eosinophils and basophils, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC in measles patients. Significantly higher values were observed for fibrinogen, D-dimer, WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, RDW and MPV in measles patients in contrast to controls. Significantly higher values were also observed for serum chloride, glucose, CRP, AST, ALT and LDH values. AST/ALT, NLR, PLR, NPR, LMR, LCR, SII and AISI also showed significant differences in measles patients compared to controls. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that laboratory tests have great significance and potential in measles in pediatric patients admitted to the hospital. Lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio also showed good diagnostic potential.