This research work presents a comprehensive overview of four traits related to the head, with the aim of assessing the statistical phenotypic association among them. The traits examined in this study encompass earlobe type, tongue rugosity, cleft chin and tongue rolling. The primary objective was to investigate the potential associations between these traits and understand their interrelationships. The study focused on examining specific traits in a diverse group of 7431 unrelated individuals, where the genders were almost evenly distributed. To facilitate a comprehensive analysis, three distinct groups were created for each characteristic, comprising the total population, as well as male and female subsets. The selection of subjects was carefully done to ensure a fair representation across different geographical regions within Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby accurately reflecting the nation's national and ethnic diversity. The association among these traits was assessed for statistical significance using the Chi-squared test, with Fisher's exact test used as a supplementary method to examine the connection between each pair of observed traits. Additionally, the Chi-squared test was applied to examine gender-based differences in the frequencies of the phenotypic characteristics of the head. Following traits were shown to have a statistically significant association: tongue rugosity - tongue rolling, tongue rugosity – earlobe type, cleft chin – earlobe type, cleft chin – tongue rolling and earlobe type – tongue rolling. Investigation into the variations in the frequencies of observed phenotypic traits of the head, with respect to gender, revealed statistically significant results for every trait examined.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex comprises 20 species, from which B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. bavariensis, and B. spielmanii are directly associated with Lyme borreliosis, while B. bissettiae, B. lusitaniae, and B. valaisiana were detected in individual cases. Their main vector in Europe is the hard tick species Ixodes ricinus. To date, two species, B. spielmanii and B. lusitaniae, have been molecularly detected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. To test for the presence of other Borrelia species, we performed nested PCR targeting intergenic region rrf (5S) - rrl (23S) on DNA isolates from 49 ticks collected from vegetation by flagging method and 43 removed from humans in The Center for Emergency Medical Assistance of the Sarajevo Canton and The Healthcare Centers of the Sarajevo Canton. Borrelia species were detected by one-directional Sanger sequencing of the amplified region using the same forward primer as in PCR. Out of six Borrelia species detected in the present study, this is the first record of B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. burgdorferi s.s. B. bavariensis, and B. valaisiana in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Climate change is one of the greatest global concerns regarding livestock production. The indigenous Pramenka sheep is well known for its ability to survive in difficult environmental conditions, although there is insufficient scientific evidence. This study aimed to evaluate the seasonal variations in some hematological and blood biochemical parameters in two strains of Pramenka sheep – Hercegovačka and Dubska, under natural thermal stress conditions. The calculated Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) data indicated mild to severe heat stress in the localities where the Hercegovačka Pramenka strain was being held, while cold stress was found in all the examined localities. Numerous statistically significant differences in hematological parameters were found between seasons, and within and between the two Pramenka strains. The Dubska strain exhibited significantly higher levels of red blood cells (RBC) and packed cell volume (PCV) compared to Hercegovačka, whereas the Hercegovačka strain displayed significantly higher white blood cells (WBC) and platelet (PLT) levels in comparison to Dubska. Similar patterns were noticed in the blood biochemical parameters - the Dubska strain had more seasonal variations compared to the Hercegovačka Pramenka. During the winter, the Hercegovačka strain demonstrated significantly higher levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), urea (UREA), and creatine kinase (CK) compared to Dubska. Conversely, during the summer, the Hercegovačka strain exhibited significantly higher globulin (GLO) levels, whereas the Dubska strain showed higher levels of ALB and chlorine (Cl). On the basis of our results, both Pramenka strains showed a high adaptive capacity to harsh environmental conditions, the Hercegovačka Pramenka being more adapted to heat stress, and Dubska to cold stress conditions.

Numerous archaeological sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina represent a historical heritage and testify to the rich cultural, social, and political life of medieval Bosnia. Bobovac, the capital of the Bosnian Kingdom after King Tvrtko I's coronation in 1377, featured a royal complex with a palace, church, and fortification. Recent molecular-genetic research on skeletal remains from Bobovac aims to uncover medieval ancestors' customs and genetic origins. Fifteen well-preserved teeth samples from Bobovac were processed. STR amplification employed PowerPlex® Fusion and Investigator® 24plex QS Kits, with Y-STR profiles generated using the PowerPlex® Y23 System. Fourteen partial autosomal STR profiles were obtained, enabling sex determination and kinship analysis. STR amplification success varied due to ancient DNA degradation, with larger loci showing lower amplification rates. Kinship analysis confirmed appropriate marker selection, demonstrating high reliability for determining close relationships. Integrating aDNA analysis with archaeological research enhances our understanding of historical populations, connecting archaeology and forensic genetics to contribute to the broader narrative of human history.

In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the conservation process of Norwegian plum germplasm, as well as to enhance the possibility of its utilization, a central plum heritage cultivar collection was established in 2020. In this study, 40 plum accessions maintained at the Ullensvang plum heritage cultivar collection were genetically characterized using a set of nine microsatellite markers recently approved by the ECPGR Prunus working group. The obtained molecular data were used to investigate the genetic identity, diversity, and structure among the analyzed accessions. No redundancies were detected among the plum accessions, which is in stark contrast to the previous molecular study on plum samples collected through an on-farm inventory of Southern Norway. Furthermore, the obtained data indicate that the Ullensvang collection contains a significant genetic diversity of Norwegian plum germplasm, previously held in decentralized sites. With that in mind, this collection can certainly be considered for the role of the National Clonal Plum Germplasm Repository. The nine microsatellite markers, recommended by ECPGR, revealed a genetic structure not entirely tied to previously proposed pomological groups, possibly indicating a history of hybridization among members of the various groups.

Accurate determination of chromosome centromere location is of high importance in cytogenetics, particularly in karyotyping, chromosome classification and determination of exposure to genotoxic environmental effects. This study investigates the ability of CNN to accurately predict the human chromosome centromere location and the effect centering chromosomes in images, by predicted centromere location, has on classification accuracy. Dataset, used to train and test CNN models, contained 8283 annotated individual chromosome images. Prior to performing centromere detection, followed by chromosome classification, the individual chromosome images are preprocessed using sequence of filtering algorithms. The CNN model achieved an average error of 0.5586 and 0.4543 in predicting x and y coordinates of centromere location, respectively. The achieved classification accuracy of randomly oriented and centered chromosomes in images, is 71.10 and 96.73%, respectively. Achieved increase in chromosome classification accuracy of 25.63% highlights importance of chromosome centromere detection, importance of positional variation removal, and high performance of CNN in prediction of centromere location and chromosome classification.

Abstract The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has prompted global health concerns. In response, researchers have been conducting investigations on active compounds in plants that may hold the potential to inhibit the proliferation of the virus. The aim of this study was to simulate and predict structural interactions of selected compounds isolated from 28 endemic plants of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the main protease (Mpro), papain-like protease (PLpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), spike glycoprotein and uridylate-specific endoribonuclease (NendoU) of SARS-CoV-2. The majority of compounds, especially hesperidin, showed great binding affinity to the target proteins. The highest affinity for Mpro was observed for genistein and hesperidin, while in terms of structural interactions, both compounds achieved interactions of interest. Hesperidin and luteolin were the compounds with the highest binding affinity for PLpro, but no significant interactions were observed. For RdRp, hesperidin and quercetin showed the highest binding affinity, where both compounds formed interactions of interest. Hesperidin and fisetin were the compounds with the highest binding affinity for spike glycoprotein, and both compounds achieved significant interactions. The highest affinity for NendoU was obtained for hesperidin and isorhamnetin, where both compounds formed interactions of interest. Although these findings appear encouraging, further research is needed, which includes in vitro and in vivo assessments, along with clinical trials, to provide evidence for the potential therapeutic uses of these plants.

Apple accessions, currently maintained within the two main ex situ collections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), have previously been genotyped using microsatellite markers. The obtained molecular data provided insight into mislabeled accessions and redundancies, as well as the overall genetic structure of the germplasm. The available dataset enabled the creation of a core collection consisting of 52 accessions. The reliability and usefulness of microsatellites has made this low-density marker system a norm in studies on apple germplasm. However, the increased access to medium- and high-density SNP arrays, developed specifically for apples, has opened new avenues of research into apple genetic resources. In this study, 45 apple genotypes consisting of 33 diploid core collection accessions from B&H and 12 international reference cultivars were genotyped using an Axiom® Apple 480 K SNP array in order to examine their genetic relationships, population structure and diversity, as well as to compare the obtained results with those calculated on previously reported SSR profiles. The SNPs displayed a better ability to differentiate apple accessions based on their origin, as well as to cluster them according to their pedigree. Calculating identity by descent revealed 16 pairings with first-degree relationships and uncovered the introgression of ‘Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ into the core collection.

In order to determine the pollinizer success rates between twelve apple cultivars in 2021 and 2022, 671 apple embryos were collected from 19 different orchards in Ullensvang (southwestern Norway) and Svelvik (southeastern Norway). Genomic DNA was extracted from the collected embryos and, afterward, a genetic characterization with 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers was conducted. An identical set of markers was also used on all twelve mother cultivars, as well as on six crabapple pollinizers, which were found in the investigated orchards. The obtained molecular data enabled paternity analyses to be performed with the objective of assigning a male parent to each embryo. The paternity analyses identified pollen donors for all, except for 3% of the embryos. In most cases, it was possible to identify the most successful pollinizers for each cultivar, with ‘Aroma’ and ‘Discovery’ being the most efficient pollen donors overall. Tree abundance seems to be a major factor in pollinizer success, while semi-cross-compatible characteristics represent a hindrance. Only 7% of the analyzed embryos were determined to have been fertilized by pollinizers outside the orchard, confirming the significance of pollinizer proximity for efficient pollination.

Essential role in replication and transcription of coronavirus makes the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 a great traget for drug design. The aim of this study was to predict structural interactions of compounds isolated from the Bosnian-Herzegovinian endemic plant Knautia sarajevensis (G. Beck) Szabó against the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The three-dimensional crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease was retrieved from the RCSB Protein Data Bank and the three-dimensional structures of isolated compounds were obtained from the PubChem database. Active site was predicted using PrankWeb, while the preparation of protease and compounds was performed using AutoDock Tools and OpenBabel. Molecular docking was carried out using AutoDock Vina. Structural interactions are visualised and analyzed using PyMOL, LigPlus and UCSF Chimera. Apigenin, kaempferol, myricetin and quercetin showed the highest binding affinity for SARS-CoV-2 main protease and formed significant hydrogen bonds with the given protein. Results obtained in this study are in accordance with previous studies and showed that these compounds could potentially have antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2. These findings indicate that K. sarajevensis could be potentially utilized as an adjuvant in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019, but further pharmacological studies are required in order to prove the potential medicinal use of the plant.

This study is the first report on the mtDNA profile of human settlements of the Konjuh and Majevica mountains of northeastern Bosnia. The aims of this study were: a) determination of mitochondrial genetic structure of populations of the Konjuh and Majevica mountains of northeastern Bosnia; b) detection of trace of ancient of mtDNA variations; and c) assessment of genetic relations with other Bosnian and Herzegovina populations and neighboring populations from the Balkan region. The genetic structure of populations of Konjuh and Majevica is shaped by western Eurasian maternal signals, which may trace their ancestry to the Paleolithic, pre-Neolithic and Neolithic. Especially interesting is the feature of the Neolithic expansion in this area. This applies especially to the presence of the pre-Neolithic lineages HV*and N1a in northeastern Bosnia, which can indicate an early settlement of this region of Bosnia by pre-Neolithic populations from the Middle East. This region abounds with resources of salt sites, which might suggest in favor of the thesis that the early-Neolithic colonists needed a safe source of salts so as to settle in the Balkan area. The populations of mountains of northeastern Bosnia indicate elements of the local population history, but they do not show strict genetic closure in relation to the neighboring populations of the Balkans. This may be a consequence of the population size, degree of geographic isolation and events of migration.