Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles of mammalian cells with critical involvement in metabolism and signaling. Studying their regulation in pathological conditions may lead to the discovery of novel drugs to treat, for instance, cardiovascular or neurological diseases, which affect high-energy-consuming cells such as cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, or neurons. Mitochondria possess both protein-coding and noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, and piwi-interacting RNAs, encoded by the mitochondria or the nuclear genome. Mitochondrial RNAs are involved in anterograde-retrograde communication between the nucleus and mitochondria and play an important role in physiological and pathological conditions. Despite accumulating evidence on the presence and biogenesis of mitochondrial RNAs, their study continues to pose significant challenges. Currently, there are no standardized protocols and guidelines to conduct deep functional characterization and expression profiling of mitochondrial RNAs. To overcome major obstacles in this emerging field, the EU-CardioRNA and AtheroNET COST Action networks summarize currently available techniques and emphasize critical points that may constitute sources of variability and explain discrepancies between published results. Standardized methods and adherence to guidelines to quantify and study mitochondrial RNAs in normal and disease states will improve research outputs, their reproducibility, and translation potential to clinical application.

Abstract This study investigates emigration patterns among healthcare professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, examining the underlying reasons for emigration and proposing actionable solutions to curb this trend. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative data from surveys administered to medical and health studies students with qualitative insights from interviews with governmental officials, language educators, and statistical agencies. The findings reveal significant dissatisfaction with socio-economic and political conditions, prompting healthcare professionals to seek opportunities abroad. Major reasons for going abroad include political instability, low wages, and poor working conditions, while better pay and career opportunities are attracting factors. While the study is limited by the lack of comprehensive official statistics on emigration, the implications of this research emphasize the need for policy interventions aiming to improve local working conditions and reform educational systems. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to effectively address the issue of brain drain.

Abstract The athlete's ability to achieve the maximum amplitude of movement in certain sports can be crucial for achieving a top result. Most theorists consider flexibility to be one of the essential motor skills of humans. Flexibility is defined as the ability of the locomotor apparatus to realize movements of optimal amplitude in a certain joint. The goal of this research was to determine the differences in flexibility between football players and karate practitioners (karateka) between the ages of 12 and 14 years, in chronological order. The purpose of this paper is to determine the differences in flexibility between football players and karateka based on the obtained results, and to further determine whether and within which variables of flexibility karateka are more dominant than football players. This research will complete the findings and fill the knowledge gaps that exist about flexibility. The importance of this research is reflected in that it will gather relevant information about the status and differences in flexibility between football players and karateka within the specified age group. The research was carried out on a sample of 40 respondents who make up two subsamples, football players (n=20; age 12.70 ± 0.86) and karateka (n=20; age 12.95 ± 0.82). Tests were applied to determine height and body mass, as well as to determine flexibility (10 variables). The obtained results were processed in the program package IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. Descriptive parameters were calculated for all collected data, normality of distribution was determined, while differences in tests were determined by T-test for independent samples. The results showed that in terms of body height and mass, there are no statistically significant differences between young football players and karateka, nor in the ability to lower a stick behind the back (MFLISK). In all other flexibility tests (deep front bend off an elevated platform/block, deep bend with legs apart, side split, active straight leg raise while lying on the back (degrees) for both legs, leg raises while lying on the chest, leg raise while lying on the side) a statistically significant difference was obtained at the significance level of .99% (p ≤ 0.01), and all in favor of karateka. We can conclude that the level of flexibility is higher in karate practitioners compared to football players, which was to be expected. The main discovery of this study is the existence of statistically significant differences in almost all flexibility variables, where better values were shown in favor of karatekas, except for the back stick raise test, where no statistically significant difference was found between football players and karateka. The research can serve other researchers who will deal with similar issues, and the findings of this research will complete the mosaic of research regarding flexibility in karate and football. The obtained results will benefit sports teams, researchers, trainers and physical education professors, as a relevant indicator of the importance and significance of flexibility development and flexibility training in sports. Key words: flexibility, football, karate,

Abstract The aim of the work was to determine the connection between morphological characteristics and the effectiveness of the throwing technique by kicking the legs from behind from the program of Special Physical Education (SPE). The sample of respondents consisted of 84 students (male), first year of the Faculty of Security Sciences from Banja Luka. The variable sample was composed of 17 tests for the evaluation of morphological characteristics, which were the independent variables and the dependent variable OSOTOG, which was the average grade of the performance of the kicking technique from the SPE program. The regression analysis did not establish a statistically significant connection between the efficiency of performing the throwing technique by striking the landing leg from behind and the selected set of predictor variables for the assessment of morphological characteristics. Only the elbow diameter variable (ADIJLA) gave a statistically significant contribution to the explanation of the criteria variable OSOTOG. Based on the value of the Beta coefficients, we can see that the variables: body weight (ATETJ) and leg length (ADUZNO) have significant positive partial correlations with the criterion variable, while negative correlations were achieved by the variables: elbow diameter (ADIJLA), body height (AVISTJ) and length hands (ADUZRU). The obtained results could be used in terms of improving the quality of the performance of certain program contents of the SPE, when choosing the appropriate technique within the motor program when solving certain problem situations from the SPE program. Keywords: students, interconnection, morphological characteristics, throwing by kicking out the leg from behind

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the role of physicians in the intensive intervention and education regarding the smoking cessation of patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: A randomised prospective study was conducted in family physicians’ clinics in which smokers of both sexes, aged 21–65 years, without cognitive impairments, and who were not addicted to psychoactive substances voluntarily participated. Four weeks preoperatively, 120 smokers were randomised into two equal groups; the intervention group (IG) underwent an intervention for the purpose of smoking cessation and the control group (CG) underwent no intervention. Biochemical tests were performed in order to determine the smoking status of the participants in the phase of randomisation, one week preoperatively, as well as 40, 120, and 180 days and 12 months postoperatively. The examinees of the IG talked to the physician five times and received 140 telephone messages, leaflets, and motivational letters along with the pharmacotherapy, while the participants in the CG received little or no advice on smoking cessation. Results: The results of this study confirmed a significant influence of the intervention and education on the smoking abstinence in the IG compared to the CG (p < 0.001). The smokers in the IG had 7.31 (95% CI: 2.32–23.04) times greater odds of abstinence upon the 12-month follow-up than the smokers in the CG. The smokers in the IG who did not stop smoking had a lower degree of dependence and smoked fewer cigarettes (p < 0.0001) compared to those in the CG, as well as a multiple times higher prevalence of short- and long-term abstinence. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the intensive intervention and education can motivate patients preparing for elective surgery to stop smoking in the short- and long term.

Abstract The goal of this research was to determine the effects of programmed work on the development of specific motor skills in young soccer players. The sample of subjects in this research were football players aged 11 and 12 and they were divided into two equal groups of 30 entities. All participants are involved in the regular training process in their football clubs. The research problem was to determine whether there are positive effects of programmed work on the development of specific motor skills. A total of 6 variables from the area of specific motor skills were used in the research. The experimental work program was carried out over a period of three months and included 38 training units. After initial testing and successfully implemented programmed work and final testing, a significant impact of programmed work on the development of specific motor skills was determined. Specific motor skills that were evaluated on 6 variables in the experimental group showed a significant difference on 4 variables. Keywords: specific motor abilities, work program, training effects, young soccer players

Aim To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes with COVID-19 severity and key biomarkers. Methods The study involved 750 COVID-19 patients from Bosnia and Herzegovina, divided into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe cases. Genetic variations within the ACE2 (rs2285666) and TMPRSS2 (rs2070788) genes were examined with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Biochemical markers were determined with standard procedures. Results There was a significant difference in the rs2070788 genotype distribution between patients with mild and moderate symptoms, but not between other groups. For the rs2285666 polymorphism, no significant difference in genotype distribution was found. In patients with mild symptoms, carriers of the GG genotype of rs2070788 had significantly higher total bilirubin levels than carriers of the AA genotype. Similarly, carriers of the TT genotype of rs2285666 had significantly higher activated partial thromboplastin time and international normalized ratio, and lower lactate dehydrogenase levels compared with the CC genotype. Among patients with severe symptoms, carriers of the GG genotype showed significantly higher potassium levels than carriers of the AA genotype, while carriers of the TT genotype showed significantly higher erythrocyte count as well as hemoglobin and hematocrit levels compared with the CC genotype. Conclusion This study highlights the role of genetic factors, particularly SNPs in the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes, in determining COVID-19 severity, aiding patient risk assessment and prognosis.

Abstract The methodology for the evaluation of long-term exposure to the overhead line magnetic field is presented, in this paper. The developed methodology is based on the ambient temperature measurements and phase conductors’ height measurements to find a linear regression model to determine phase conductors’ height changes for different ambient temperatures. Based on the overhead transmission line geometry, and datasets about historical overhead line phase current intensity values and ambient temperatures long-term magnetic field exposure can be determined. For magnetic flux density determination, a method based on artificial neural networks is used. The methodology is applied to the case study of overhead line that connect substations Sarajevo 10 and Sarajevo 20. A period of one year is analyzed and magnetic flux density values are determined. The obtained results indicate that during the analyzed period for significant amounts of time magnetic flux density values surpass the recommended values for long-term exposure.

Background: Severe coagulation abnormalities are common in patients with COVID-19 infection. We aimed to investigate the relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and coagulation parameters concerning socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. Methods: Our study included patients hospitalized during the second wave of COVID-19 in the Republic of Serbia. We collected socio-demographic, clinical, and blood-sample data for all patients. Cytokine levels were measured using flow cytometry. Results: We analyzed data from 113 COVID-19 patients with an average age of 58.15 years, of whom 79 (69.9%) were male. Longer duration of COVID-19 symptoms before hospitalization (B = 69.672; p = 0.002) and use of meropenem (B = 1237.220; p = 0.014) were predictive of higher D-dimer values. Among cytokines, higher IL-5 values significantly predicted higher INR values (B = 0.152; p = 0.040) and longer prothrombin times (B = 0.412; p = 0.043), and higher IL-6 (B = 0.137; p = 0.003) predicted longer prothrombin times. Lower IL-17F concentrations at admission (B = 0.024; p = 0.050) were predictive of higher INR values, and lower IFN-γ values (B = −0.306; p = 0.017) were predictive of higher aPTT values. Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant correlation between pro-inflammatory cytokines and coagulation-related parameters. Factors such as the patient’s level of education, gender, oxygen-therapy use, symptom duration before hospitalization, meropenem use, and serum concentrations of IL-5, IL-6, IL-17F, and IFN-γ were associated with worse coagulation-related parameters.

Over the past 30 years, forensic experts from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have embraced advanced technologies and innovations to enable great efficacy and proficiency in the identification of war victims. The wartime events in the countries of former Yugoslavia greatly influenced the application of the selected DNA analyses as routine tools for the identification of skeletal remains, especially those from mass graves. Initially, the work was challenging because of the magnitude of the events, technical aspects, and political aspects. Collaboration with reputable foreign forensic experts helped tremendously in the efforts to start applying DNA analysis routinely and with increasing success. In this article, we reviewed the most significant achievements related to the application of DNA analysis in identifying skeletal remains in situations where standard identification methods were insufficient.

Due to its turbulent demographic history, marked by extensive settlement and gene flow from diverse regions of Eurasia, Southeastern Europe (SEE) has consistently served as a genetic crossroads between East and West and a junction for the migrations that reshaped Europe’s population. SEE, including modern Croatian territory, was a crucial passage from the Near East and even more distant regions and human populations in this region, as almost any other European population represents a remarkable genetic mixture. Modern humans have continuously occupied this region since the Upper Paleolithic era, and different (pre)historical events have left a distinctive genetic signature on the historical narrative of this region. Our views of its history have been mostly renewed in the last few decades by extraordinary data obtained from Y-chromosome studies. In recent times, the international research community, bringing together geneticists and archaeologists, has steadily released a growing number of ancient genomes from this region, shedding more light on its complex past population dynamics and shaping the genetic pool in Croatia and this part of Europe.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex, multifactorial, progressive condition with a variety of approved therapeutic options. The purpose of this study was to offer an overview of the authorized antidiabetic medicines (excluding insulin) compared with marketed products in seven European countries. Data were obtained from primary sources, including the websites of national authorities and directly from specialists in the countries of interest. The range of marketed medicines compared with the authorized group was assessed in terms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (>60% in Bulgaria, France, Serbia), brand names (>70% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), pharmaceutical forms (>60% in all countries), strengths (>60% in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Spain), marketing authorization holder (≥50% in all countries) and the status of medicine. Spain was found to have the highest number of products based on most of these attributes. Over 90% of authorized medicines had a pharmacy price in Serbia. Regarding the newer class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, a retail price for all approved substances was available in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Spain. Only one brand name with one concentration was found available for some agents, being susceptible to drug shortages: glibenclamide (Romania, Serbia, Spain), glipizide (the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Spain), glisentide (Spain), acarbose (the Czech Republic), sitagliptin (Bulgaria, Poland), vildagliptin (the Czech Republic, Poland) and saxagliptin (the Czech Republic, France, Romania, Serbia). An overview of the national and international therapeutic options may allow competent authorities and health professionals to take rapid measures in case of supply problems or health crises.

Bioeconomy is becoming a more interesting field for investments in the Republic of Croatia, especially in its small regions and local administrative units. Vukovar-Srijem county is one such unit in eastern Croatia with noticeable potential for development in a circular, carbon-neutral, and sustainable bioeconomy. Due to the nature potential represented by one of the largest forest reservoirs in Europe-Spačva basin, forestry is one of the most important county branches. Aiming to provide more inputs on the wood biomass management, the study on the biomass flow of Vukovar -Srijem c ounty was conducted in 2020 by collecting data from local stakeholders and official reports. The study results have shown that Vukovar-Srijem county has the potential to increase the efficiency level of biomass use, but specific actions on the value-chain strengthening, finalisation of wood products, and innovative ecosystem establishment are still needed. The results highlight the predominant use of sawdust for heating purposes in the VSC region, suggesting potential for optimizing its utilization towards a circular, carbon-neutral, and sustainable bioeconomy, thus offering novel insights for future research and initiatives aiming to maximize economic and environmental benefits from wood biomass residues.

The tumor suppressor proteins are key transcription factors involved in the regulation of various cellular processes, such as apoptosis, DNA repair, cell cycle, senescence, and metabolism. The tumor suppressor protein p53 responds to different type of stress signaling, such as hypoxia, DNA damage, nutrient deprivation, oncogene activation, by activating or repressing the expression of different genes that target processes mentioned earlier. p53 has the ability to modulate the activity of many other proteins and signaling pathway through protein-protein interaction, post-translational modifications, or non-coding RNAs. In many cancers the p53 is found to be mutated or inactivated, resulting in the loss of its tumor suppressor function and acquisition of new oncogenic properties. The tumor suppressor protein p53 also plays a role in the development of other metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease. In this review, we will summarize the current data and knowledge on the molecular mechanisms and the functions of p53 in different pathways and processes at the cellular level and discuss the its implications for human health and disease.