The paper examines the possibilities of applying solar cooling in B&H, since the potential of solar energy is great. The goal is to reduce primary energy consumption, as well as to reduce emissions of harmful gases, primarily CO2. The feasibility of a single-stage H2O/LiBr absorption cooling device powered by heat from solar collectors for a building in Tuzla was investigated, as well as a comparison with the existing compression cooling device. A solar cooling system was selected for the calculated heat load values. A mathematical model for the absorption single-stage cooling cycle has been developed that includes mass and energy balance equations as well as heat exchange equations. The absorption system is designed for the maximum cooling load of the specified facility.

Introduction/Objective. Diabetic retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease, and other diabetic complications may lead to a lowering of quality of life, significant comorbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to analyze the risk factors of peripheral occlusive arterial disease in patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy due to type 2 diabetes. Methods. We analyzed 63 patients having diabetic retinopathy (33 patients without and 30 patients with peripheral occlusive arterial disease). All the patients were asked for demographic data, medical history, physical findings, laboratory and vascular status. Results. Patients having confirmed peripheral occlusive arterial disease suffered from diabetes significantly longer (32.67 vs. 9.71 years, t = 12.834, p < 0.001), were more often smokers (23:13, ?2 = 8.92, p < 0.05), had ischemic heart disease significantly more frequently (24:10, ?2 = 15.643, p < 0.001), used statins more frequently (21:14; ?2 = 4.84, p < 0.05), had claudications (25:4, ?2 = 32,075, p < 0.001), depilations (30:9, ?2 = 35,240, p < 0.001), thinned atrophic foot skin (30:12, ?2 = 28.64, p < 0.01), foot ulcers (10:1, ?2 = 10.013, p < 0.01), significantly higher HbA1c values (9.31:7.17, t = 5.250, p < 0.001), as well as glycemic control (11.60:8.20, t = 4.913, p < 0.001). Conclusion. It has been shown that the duration of type 2 diabetes, smoking, poor regulation of blood glucose levels and HbA1c significantly contributes to the development of diabetic retinopathy in patients having peripheral artery occlusion.

The acute and chronic effects of dehydration on athletes' health are well known, but it is less known about the relationship between dehydration and sports performance. There is an overall consensus in the literature that dehydration ≥ 2% body mass represents a threshold at which endurance, as aerobic performance, becomes impaired. Dehydration degrades aerobic performance by various mechanisms, such as a decrease in VO2 max, a decrease in circulatory volume and consequent decrease in cardiac stroke volume. At higher levels of dehydration, there is an increase in heart rate, body temperature, carbohydrate oxidation and muscle glycogenolysis. The effect of dehydration on anaerobic sports performance, such as muscle strength and power, is less known. The high osmotic stress that usually accompanies high levels of intracellular dehydration can modulate the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, alter the neuronal firing of osmoreceptor cells in the hypothalamus, and potentially affect the excitability of motor output pathways. Studies have shown that acute dehydration impairs muscle strength and endurance and increases the perception of fatigue but without changes in markers of central and peripheral neuromuscular function. In addition to the physical, dehydration also affects the mental performance of athletes. Symptoms of dehydration (dry mouth, thirst, headache, fatigue) affect the athletes' cognitive functions and their cognitive resilience. Therefore, personalized rehydration strategies play a key role in athletes' safety during sporting activities, as well as in optimizing sports performance. In this paper, the role of dehydration on physical and mental athletes' performance will be reviewed, as well as the latest recommendations for adequate rehydration.

Atherosclerotic diseases are among the leading causes of mortality in the world and in our country. In the last few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of the disease. Interest in risk factors for atherosclerotic disease began at the beginning of the last century when hyperglycemia, hypertension and hyperuricemia were first emphasized. In later research, the World Health Organization introduced the term metabolic syndrome (MSy). In 2001, the Expert Group for the Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Cholesterol in Adults (ATP III) provided a new definition of MSy that is considered the most widely used in clinical practice, where the presence of MSy is determined by the presence of three of the following five risk factors: abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased HDL level and hyperglycemia. This definition has undergone a whole series of corrections, of which the definition of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) should be singled out, which tightened the criteria for abdominal obesity, which became a mandatory risk factor and hyperglycemia. It is estimated that the frequency of MSy in the older population over 20 years is over 30%, and in the patients with atherosclerotic disease over 55%. In addition, healthy habits can also contribute to the risk of developing atherosclerotic diseases, primarily physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking and dietary habits. Early recognition and detection of risk factors for atherosclerosis is the most important way to prevent the disease and its complications.

Background: RV dysfunction has been recognized as a powerful independent predictor of poor prognosis. Therefore, accurate evaluation of RV function is helpful for risk stratification in patients with HF, so as to guide clinicians to choose the best treatment and improve the prognosis of patients. Therefore, assessment of RV function is clinically important in almost all patients with heart disease. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: We evaluated a prospective cohort of 126 patients with known or suspected HFrEF referred for echocardiographic evaluation. All underwent measurement of RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) by 2D transthoracic echocardiography. The primary study endpoint was the occurrence of death for any cause or hospitalization for heart failure. Results: From 126 eligible patients with chronic heart failure, 10 (8%) with RVFWLS not suitable for strain analysis were excluded, leaving a final study population of 116 patients. During the follow-up period of 24 months, 44 patients (38%) reached the composite end point: 18 patients died (15%), and 26 patients (22%) were hospitalized for worsening HF. Compared with patients without events, patients who reached the composite end point were older and prevalently men (P <0.05). Patients with events also showed higher LV volumes, lower LVEF%, increased left atrial volume index (LAVI), increased pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and higher prevalence of severe MR and TR than event-free patients. Diastolic RV diameter was also significantly greater in this group. In this study, we found that a RVFWLS less negative of -19.3% was associated to outcomes with 75% sensitivity and 67% specificity P < 0.001. A value of RVFWLS less than -19.3% was strongly associated to outcome with HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.487–2.7; P < 0.001. Conclusion: RV free wall longitudinal strain seems to be more sensitive and accurate for the diagnosis of RV systolic dysfunction in patients with HFrEF, therefore assessment of RV function should be implemented by analysis of RVFWLS in patients with HFrEF, to improve identification of patients who are at high risk for adverse events.

This paper presents only a part of the risks and harmfulness to which the employees working in Serbian MoD and especially in Technical Test Center are exposed during tests on new armaments and various other equipment under development. In addition to the results of noise and vibration measurements in the working environment at the training grounds and the airport, the risks during laboratory and experimental-exploitation tests in the field are presented. Noise and vibration as harmfulness effects were measured and evaluated according to the relevant criteria, while far more dangerous risks of working with prototypes are immeasurable, unpredictable and not included in the regulations.

Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati uticaj tehnologije proizvodnje na senzorni kvalitet “Visočkog sudžuka”. Pored navedenog, cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati razlike u senzornom kvalitetu “Visočkog sudžuka” između različitih proizvođača unutar obje tehnologije proizvodnje. Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da postoje statistički značajne razlike u vrijednostima ispitivanih senzornih karakteristika uzoraka „Visočkog sudžuka“ između uzoraka iz tradicionalne i industrijske proizvodnje. Također, utvrđene su i razlike unutar grupe uzoraka iz iste proizvodnje između različitih proizvođača koje su bile statistički značajne. Istraživanjem je zabilježeno očuvanje senzornog kvaliteta proizvoda korištenjem tradicionalne proizvodnje, kao i manje oscilacije u kvalitetu između proizvoda proizvedenih na isti način (tradicionalno). Najbolje ocijenjeni uzorci bili su VST 4 iz tradicionalne proizvodnje, dok je najbolje ocijenjeni uzorak iz industrijske proizvodnje bio VSI 1. Okus uzoraka iz tradicionalne proizvodnje bio je bolje ocijenjen u odnosu na uzorke iz industrijske proizvodnje, gdje je najbolji okus imao uzorak VST 4. Najlošije ocijenjeni uzorci po svim senzornim svojstvima bili su uzorak VSI 3 koji se izdvojio iz grupe industrijskih proizvoda i uzorak VST 1 iz grupe tradicionalnih proizvoda.

The aim of this research was to determine whether there is a relationship between body composition and motor abilities. A total of 50 participants, non-athletes, school-aged, from the school "Vožd Karađorđe" from Niš, male and female, average age 12.9 years, participated in this research. The research examined whether there is a relationship between parameters of the body composition and tests of explosive power, speed and agility. Tests were used to asses explosive power: countermovement jump (CMJ), countermovement jump with free arms (CMJA), squat jump (SJ) and five jump test (5JT). To asses speed we conducted tests 5m sprint (5m), 10m sprint (10m) and 20m sprint (20m). The following tests were used to assess agility: T-test, Zig Zag and Slalom. We used Pearson's correlation analysis to determine the relationship between body composition variables and motor abilities variables. As a result, it was proven that there are statistically significant correlation between body composition and motor abilities of school-age children.

Frequent sedentary behavior caused by the increased use of new technologies has contributed to the increase in overweight and obesity in children. These lifestyle changes include insufficient physical activity (PA) or an unfavorable relationship between food energy intake and energy expenditure. Parents and the family environment play a significant role in the development of obesity in their children. This study aimed to determine parents' attitudes about the FA of children of different nutritional levels (body mass index - BMI). A total of 149 respondents, parents of students in the first to fourth grades of urban and rural elementary schools, participated in the research. For the purposes of this research, the Fels Questionnaire (FELS PAQ) was used to assess the level of PA in children. The results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in the intensity of attitudes about PA between parents of overfed and obese children and parents of normally fed children, as well as between mothers and eyes. A statistically significant association between actual and perceived PA levels was found in parents of over-nourished and obese children. Analysis of the difference in the intensity of attitudes about PA among parents of overfed and obese children from urban and rural areas revealed that there is no difference in the attitudes of parents from urban and rural areas

Obesity is a chronic, complex, relapsing disease impacting healthcare systems and the economy worldwide. We aim to analyze the utilization trends of antiobesity drugs, and their reimbursement status on drug lists of health insurance funds (HIF) in selected European countries. The DDD/1000 inhabitants/day methodology is used for utilization trend analysis, where data from official national utilization reports were used. For the reimbursement status analysis of 5 antiobesity drugs (orlistat, semaglutide, liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion, setmelanotide), the websites of national health insurance funds (HIF) of 22 European countries were screened. Trend analysis revealed fluctuation for almost all antiobesity drugs (the highest decrease seen for orlistat in Serbia, and the highest increase for liraglutide in Croatia). Novel antiobesity drugs show an increasing utilization trend in almost all the countries. In two out of three European countries, 437 antiobesity drugs are not covered by the HIF. Slovenia and Denmark reimburse most of the antiobesity drugs. The Netherlands is the only country where the cost of setmelanotide is paid by the HIF. Our results emphasize the importance of prioritizing the introduction and implementation of new strategies and reimbursement scheme models in global and national antiobesity policies.

In this article, we address a form of active perception characterized by curiosity-driven, open-ended exploration with intrinsic motivation, carried out by a group of agents. The multiple agents and a large number of possible actions are the main motivation for incorporating Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning used to train a neural network in order to derive agent’s policy. Partially Observable Markov Decision Process framework is used to accommodate the inaccuracy of sensors and probabilistic nature of agent’s actions. The proposed method incorporates a consensus that derives the common belief vector, thus allowing each agent to make its decisions based on information acquired by all agents involved in the process of active perception. A well-known benchmark problem with a decentralized tiger scenario was used to demonstrate the possibility of the method to generate agents with different perceptual characteristics by simply changing the agents’ reward function related to their intrinsic motivation. The main validation of the proposed approach was performed by using an example of multi-agent search mission. Final results are presented and discussed, and possible avenues for progress on open problems are identified.

Background: Levetiracetam (LEV) is a broad spectrum second-generation antiepileptic drug (AED). Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam for childhood epilepsies. Methods: This is single, tertiary centre observational, prospective study, that included paediatric patients who were treated with levetiracetam at Paediatric hospital University Clinical Centre Sarajevo, during the period of 15 years (2008-2022). Inclusion criteria were: paediatric patients age > 1 month, diagnosed with epilepsy according to International League Against Epilepsy. After the introduction of levetiracetam, each patient has been followed up at least 12 months. According to the outcome the patients were divided into 5 groups: seizure reduction >50%, seizure reduction <50%, complete seizure freedom, the same number of seizures and increased number of seizures. From these groups two intergroups have been formed: responders (seizure reduction >50% and complete seizure freedom) and non-responders (seizure reduction <50%, the same number of seizures and increased number of seizures). Results The study enrolled 259 patients (141 female and 118 male), with mean age 7 years (3,0–12.0). Comorbidities were present at 129/259 (49.8%) patients. After 12 months of treatment, 25/259 (9.7%) patients had seizure reduction >50%, 30/259 (11.6%) patients had seizure reduction <50%, 154/259 (56.5%) patients had achieved seizure freedom, 31/259 (12%) patients had same number of seizures, while 19/259 (7.3%) patients had increased number of seizures. Seizure frequency between responders and non-responders, before treatment and after 12 months of treatment was statistically significant (p<0.001). Discussion: Non responders had the best outcome with ditherapy (30/79; 38%), while responders had the best outcome with monotherapy (161/180;89.4%). Conclusion: Levetiracetam is efficient antiepileptic drug for different types of epilepsies in childhood, used as mono, di or polytherapy.