Abstract Pike-perch Sander lucioperca is a native species originally present in the Black Sea basin of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the 1990s, it was introduced to the Neretva River and its reservoir system, and since 2009 the species has been recorded in Lake Boračko and Buško Blato Reservoir. The aim of this study is to analyse the distribution of S. lucioperca in Bosnia and Herzegovina based on literature data (1975–2024) and to define areas where the species has been introduced in order to assess the risk of potential invasiveness. The results indicate that S. lucioperca belongs to the high-risk category. Since the same risk ranking has been confirmed in recent studies on aquatic ecosystems in other geographical areas, the conclusion is that pike-perch could soon pose a potential threat to native species and aquatic ecosystems in Bosnia and Herzegovina if mitigation measures are not implemented.

Introduction: Aneurysms of brain vessels are life-threatening conditions with various adverse outcomes, some stemming from microsurgical intervention, particularly when major vessel perforators are inadequately protected. The use of endoscopes enhances the approach to aneurysms by providing closer visualization (180–360 degrees) of the local anatomy, potentially reducing accidental damage. To improve visualization and efficiency, a microscope-integrated 45-degree angled microinspection endoscopic tool (QEVO®, Carl Zeiss, OberkochenTM) has been developed and employed in various neurosurgical procedures. Methods: Between 2021 and 2025, 27 brain aneurysms were treated with QEVO® assistance at the Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. The choice of the videos corresponds to the best image quality in videos and on the microscopic determination of adjacent vessel perforators, which were not adequately seen purely by the surgical microscope in specific cases. Exclusion criteria included cases without a need for QEVO® assistance in perforator visualization, severe brain edema, intraoperative aneurysm rupture, posterior circulation, or low video quality. Results: Case 1 demonstrates an anterior choroidal artery (AchA) aneurysm; Case 2 presents an anterior communicating artery (AcommA) aneurysm; and Case 3 features contralateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) microsurgical clipping with QEVO® assistance. Conclusions: The QEVO® tool significantly improves the visualization of aneurysm–perforator relationships, increasing the likelihood of preserving perforators during standard microsurgical clipping. This innovative approach may reduce surgical complications and enhance patient outcomes, highlighting the tool’s potential as an adjunct in aneurysm microsurgery.

Background/Objectives: Syncope is a common clinical occurrence, with neurally mediated and orthostatic types accounting for about 75% of cases. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear, with recent evidence suggesting autonomic nervous system damage and a potential infectious etiology. This study aimed to examine the role of infection in the development of syncope and orthostatic hypotension (OH). Methods: The cross-sectional study included 806 patients from the Neurocardiological Laboratory of the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases “Dedinje”. Patients were divided into three groups: unexplained recurrent syncope (n = 506), syncope with OH during the head-up tilt test (HUTT) (n = 235), and OH without a history of syncope (n = 62). All participants underwent the HUTT, and 495 underwent serological testing for various microorganisms. Data were analyzed using chi-squared tests and binary and multinomial logistic regression. Results: The HUTT was positive in 90.6% of patients with syncope and OH, compared with 61.6% with syncope alone (p < 0.001). Serological testing revealed that 57.85% of syncope patients, 62.9% of syncope with OH patients, and 78% of OH patients had positive IgM antibodies to at least one microorganism. Multivariate analysis indicated that IgM antibodies to Coxsackievirus and Epstein–Barr virus were significant predictors of OH. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a potential association between infections and syncope/OH. Further investigation into the role of infectious agents in autonomic dysfunction is warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms of syncope and OH.

The paper presents the application of the universal motion controller to a 6-DOF robotic manipulator in a realistic simulation environment within the Robot Operating System (ROS). This approach addresses the limitations of earlier simulation methods. ROS allows for the measurement of interaction forces, a feature significant for validating the universal motion controller. This evaluation represents a crucial step toward bridging the gap between simulation and real-world implementation on robotic systems, highlighting the controller's robustness and adaptability under realistic conditions. Two control laws are implemented: one featuring exponential convergence and the other finite-time convergence. Furthermore, a method for managing both redundant and non-redundant tasks is utilized. The control code is written in discrete time using C++, which is particularly significant due to its ease of implementation on hardware systems.

Plant oils have attracted interest for centuries as natural remedies in treatment of various diseases. The Inula verbascifolia (Willd.) Hausskn.isgrowing wild plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aromatic natural oils are one of the most significant sources of natural organic components. The natural vegetable oil of the selected plant (Inula verb.) was obtained by the hydrodistillation method. A comparison was made between the fragrant vegetable oil from the aerial parts of the plant in the flowering period (summer) and after the flowering period (autumn). In this study, chemical compounds were tested, comparing the content and composition of natural oils from the plant Inula verbascifolia. The aerial parts of the plant contained a fragrant and yellow essential oil. The identified 125 constituents accounted for 86.87% and 88.38% of the oil. The dominant compounds of both EOs were tridecanal, (3Z)- hexenyl benzoate, α-murolol, hexadecanoic acid, linalool and undecanal. Since essential aromatic oils possess a number of antimicrobial properties, an analysis of antimicrobial activity was also performed in this work. The antimicrobial activity of a mixture of EOs was determined on selected ATCC strains of microorganisms. Results of antimicrobial activity indicated that all used the microorganisms were sensitive to the EO. No data about antimicrobial activity of Inula verbascifolia has been published yet.

This is the first study of microelement variability in needles of seven natural populations of Picea omorika (Panč.) Purkyně from Serbia. Seven essential, three usefull, and six toxic microelements were analysed by ICP-Spectrometer. Their range was as follows: Mn > Fe > Zn > Al > Na > B > Cu > Ni > Cr > Cd > Co. The microelements Mo, As, Hg, Pb and Se were detected in traces. The amounts of Al, B, Co, Cr and Na were recorded in P. omorika needles for the first time. Among usefull microelements the most abundant was Al, while among toxic it was Cr. The most southern population, Mileševka canyon, had the highest amounts of Zn, Cu, Ni, Co and Cd and the lowest values of B. Discriminant and cluster analyses visualized that this population also showed the greatest separation from all other populations. Further research could usefully explore factors that affect the endangerment of P. omorika in its natural habitats or prevent its natural regeneration.

Accurate identification of ships is vital for global trade and maritime security. More specifically, reliable recognition of the vessel registration number helps in orderly navigation and port use for maritime transportation activities. The purpose of this research was to develop and analyze different methods for detecting vessel registration numbers with a monocular camera. We used existing OCR tools available online and modified them to improve their out-of-the-box performance. Three neural network-based text detection methods were developed and tested. All three methods use different text region detection modules for real scenes, while available OCR software is used in all of them for specific character recognition. The methods are compared using standard optical character recognition metrics. The best method that was developed uses a deep neural network model to detect a vessel, then another fine-tuned neural network model to detect a text region, coupled with deterministic image processing methods to improve picture quality. In conclusion, with an accuracy of 72.69% recognized characters of vessel registrations using a limited image dataset, we achieve satisfactory results. Further effort focusing on collecting and annotating diverse maritime environment datasets featuring footage of vessels with visible registration numbers is needed to have a more reliable and robust system.

Smart irrigation systems play a crucial role in water management, particularly in urban greening applications aimed at mitigating urban heat islands and enhancing environmental sustainability. These systems rely on soil moisture sensors to optimize water usage, ensuring that irrigation is precisely tailored to plant needs. This study evaluates the performance of four commercially available capacitive soil moisture sensors—TEROS 10, SMT50, Scanntronik, and DFROBOT—across three different substrates under controlled laboratory conditions. A total of 380 measurements were conducted to assess sensor accuracy, reliability, and the influence of insertion technique on measurement variability. Results indicate that while all sensors adequately cover the moisture ranges critical for plant health, their accuracy varies significantly, highlighting the necessity of substrate-specific calibration. TEROS 10 exhibited the lowest relative deviation and highest measurement consistency, making it the most reliable among the tested sensors. DFROBOT, despite being the least expensive, performed comparably to SMT50 and Scanntronik in certain conditions. The findings provide valuable insights for selecting and calibrating soil moisture sensors in smart irrigation applications, ultimately contributing to improved water efficiency, plant vitality, and sustainable building-integrated greenery.