Allelopathy determines the dynamics of germination, development and growth of plant species in the environment. Therefore, in this study, the allelopathic effect of an aqueous extract isolated from walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaves (concentrated extract, 1:2, 1:4 and 1:8) on the germination percentage, mean germination value and germination rate of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and peas was monitored (Pisum sativum L.). Both tested species were sensitive to juglone, but the percentage of germination was significantly lower in wheat (by 80%) compared to peas, so it can be said that this species is more sensitive. The length of roots and shoots of both tested species decreased in proportion to the increase in the concentration of the extract. Monitoring of this biological phenomenon could help to understand the changes in the environment caused by allelochemicals.

In this study, changes in Class III peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. Ex Steud. Utricularia vulgaris L. and Salvinia natans (L.) from the Bardača wetland during one vegetation season (June-October) were monitored. The highest activities of soluble and ionic cell wall bound peroxidases (solPOX and ionPOX, respectively) were measured for Phragmites communis (leaf > root > rhizome), followed by Utricularia vulgaris (whole plant), then Salvinia natans (whole plant). The results showed that during the vegetation period (August-September) the activity of solPOX, ionPOX and PPO in Phragmites communis increased, but the activity decreased drastically in October. For Salvinia natans and Utricularia vulgaris, a different seasonal distribution was obtained in the PPO activity, i.e. with a maximum activity during July and a minimum one during September. Different seasonal trends in enzyme activities are probably the result of abiotic stress caused by changing physic-chemical environmental conditions and different adaptive capacities of the studied species to habitat conditions. Correlations between physicochemical environmental parameters and enzyme activities indicate the possibility of using POX and PPO activities as an important bioindicatos of environmental status.

: Chromium in wastewater is discharged from tannery, electroplating, metal finishing, dying industry and many other industries. Presence of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in the environment considerable concern because it is non-biodegradable, highly toxic and carcinogen. There are several treatments for the removal of chromium from wastewater, but the most common method involves reduction to its less toxic trivalent state. In this paper electrocoagulation was used as treatment for removing of hexavalent chromium from synthetic prepared wastewater initial concentration 50 mg/L, in presence of sodium chloride as supporting electrolyte (1 g/L). The treatment was perform in a batch electrochemical reactor 250 mL capacity and with possibility of constant stirring. It was examined the impact of electrode materials and current density (5, 10, 20 mA/cm 2 ) on Cr(VI) removal efficiency. The examination showed that iron has higher removal efficiency compared to aluminium. Also, it was observed high efficiency at very begin of treatment and at low current density. For 20 minutes of treatment it was achieved almost complete Cr(VI) removal at current density of 5 mA/cm 2 by using iron electrodes ( E= 99.8 %).

Već nekoliko decenija, rak pluća najčešći je uzrok oboljevanja i umiranja od malignih tumora širom svijeta. Kako u svijetu tako i u BiH maligne neoplazme danas su visoko rangirane na listi vodećih uzroka smrti u gdje najveći udio u ukupnom broju čine maligne neoplazme bronha i pluća. Karcinom pluća, histološki gledano može se opisati kao bolest, koja ima mnogo podvrsta, te svaka od njih zahtjeva specifičan oblik terapije. Jedna od najprovjerenijih metoda u liječenju raka pluća je radioterapija. Razvoj informatičkih tehnologija doprinio je napretku medicine kao znanstvene grane, posebno u području radioterapije gdje je tehnološki napredak omogućio poboljšanje preciznosti prilikom zračenja malignih tkiva uz bolju kontrolu okolnog zdravog tkiva. Prilagodba radioterapije respiratornim pokretima oduvijek je bila glavna briga u radioterapiji karcinoma grudnog koša. Pokreti prilikom disanja ne utiču samo na pozicioniranje pacijenta tijekom provođenja terapije, već i na pogreške u procesu planiranja liječenja. Kako bi se riješio ovaj problem i reducirala pojava grešaka, već 1990.–ih godina predlaže se upotreba tehnike respiratornog gatinga. 4D – CT kao opcija je poželjan za procjenu tumorske kretnje i individualiziranje ciljnog volumena i njegovih margina. Dimenzija vremena zajedno sa CT-om čini savršenu 4D tehniku koja minimizira utjecaj respiracijskog kretanja tumora i omogućuje lakše ocrtavanje istog. Korist i rasprostranjenost primjene respiratornog gatinga predstavlja prioritet za poboljšanje kvalitete i rezultata radioterapije. Postizanje lokalne kontrole tumora zahtijeva razumijevanje i uključivanje pokreta tumora u simulaciji, planiranju i isporuci tretmana, što dovodi do višestrukih mogućnosti praćenja kretnji targeta. Tehnike respiratornog gajtinga koriste vanjske uređaje za predviđanje faze ciklusa disanja dok pacijent slobodno diše i omogućava isporuku doze samo u određenim fazama disanja. Isporuka snopa zračenja tehnikom respiratornog gatinga namijenjena je kako bi se ograničila ozračenost tumora koji se kreće tokom disanja, na odabrane dijelove respiratornog ciklusa i na taj način omogućava eskalaciju doze i smanjenje doze na rizične organe. Praćenje respiratornog ciklusa zajedno sa četverodimenzionalnim planiranjem pruža opcije kao što su ozračivanje integrisanog tumorskog volumena uz mogućnost aplikovanja zračenja u trenucima udisaja ili izdisaja. Brojna istraživanja predstavljaju tehniku respiratornog gatinga značajnim izazovom, ali i optimalnom tehnikom za liječenje karcinoma pluća uz znatno smanjenje nuspojava i komplikacija radioterapijskog tretmana.

Cement dust is created as a by-product during the production of cement, and in its composition it contains high concentrations of calcium oxide (CaO), potassium oxide (K2O) and other important micro and macro elements. Due to its composition, it is suitable for correcting the pH of the soil, as well as for the uptake of essential elements by plants. The ability to accumulate essential and non-essential heavy metals also depends on the cultivated plant species, and vegetables show the greatest affinity for these elements. The application of cement dust as a soil additive used to improve the physico-chemical soil properties is examined in the paper. After the addition, the soil was mechanically cultivated and planting of the vegetable crop tomato was carried out. The content of essential elements and heavy metals was determined in the soil, cement dust, and tomato fruits grown on soil with and without the addition of cement dust. Due to the high pH value, high conductivity as well as the high content of CaO, it is very important to examine in real conditions how the addition of cement dust to the soil affects the formation of micro and macro elements as well as the content of heavy metals when growing tomatoes. The results showed that the cement kiln dust is an effective addition to the soil because it is a source of calcium, potassium and other essential elements without affecting the loss of quality or contamination with heavy metals during production.

Background: The VEPs provide an objective measure of brain function, analyzing integrity of visual processing. With patients affected with schizophrenia, the changes with the implementation of VEP are evident, such as symmetrical deceleration of the impulse (reduction of the amplitude) and the continuance of latency, which points to a degenerative illness, suggesting the presence of optical neuritis or hemianopsia conjoined with mentioned intracranial illness. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the correlation of l P100 latency and P100 amplitude (µV) between patients with schizophrenia and patients with migraine headache. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were applied. Methods: The sample included 80 subjects: a) S group- 40 patients with schizophrenia (21 males; 19 females), b) H group-40 healthy subjects with migraine headache (10 males; 30 females). The study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, University Clinical Center Sarajevo. Results: Our research revealed positive correlations were registered in P100 latency in left view field of both eyes and in P100 amplitude in the region of right eye (p=0.01) in comparison with left eye region (p=0.05) in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: Results imply that the cognitive impairment seen in schizophrenia is not just due to deficits in higher order aspects of cognition but also encompasses significant deficits in early sensory processing. Our study is useful to initiate new questions and recommendations for further studies, specifically on changes in the occipital lobe in the schizophrenic patient’s brain. Changes in the volume in the occipital lobe are quite evident and further studies are required to better understand how the progressive brain changes affect the structural, functional, and metabolic activities of the occipital lobe in schizophrenia.

Background: The pandemic of the new corona virus has taken its toll on the mental health of entire humankind with special impact on vulnerable groups, such as drug users in substitution treatment. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the population of opiate addicts who are on substitution therapy. Methods: The research was conducted in the Institute of Addiction Diseases of the ZE-DO canton on the population of patients addicted to opiates who are included in the substitution therapy program. The sample of 80 patients was randomly selected with respect to the inclusion criteria. An 8-parameter questionnaire with symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder, ranked by intensity on the Likert scale from 0 to 4, was used as a measuring instrument. The change in these symptoms in the one-year period before the pandemic to the one-year period of the pandemic are compared. The results are analyzed in descriptive statistics using the SPSS program. The statistical significance was monitored by the χ2 test. Results: The results of this research show an apperent statistically significant increase in the symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder, as well as an increase in drug abuse during the pandemic period compared to the period before it. Conclusion: Results imply the existence of a significant adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of treated opiate addicts. This research impose the need to affirm the prevention of further abuse of illegal substances, as well as the introduction of new customized programs through various psychosocial interventions and therapies carried out by psychiatrists and psychologists. Telemedicine presents itself as useful way of intervention and treatment.

The suitable characteristics of fly ash from thermal power plants make it a proper adsorbent for removing various pollutants from water and aqueous solutions. Valorization and utilization of fly ash can reduce the use of conventional adsorbents. The paper presents an overview of the possibility of using raw and modified fly ash to remove fluorides from water and aqueous solutions, as well as the influence of different process parameters (sorbent dose, contact time, pH value, temperature, etc.) on the value of adsorption capacity and adsorption efficiency of used sorbent. Fly ash can be used as an effective sorbent for the removal of fluoride, both in raw and modified form, with given optimal process parameters. Raw fly ash shows better adsorption properties when performing the experiment in a column, with a higher dose of sorbent and longer contact time, in an acidic environment (pH = 2-3), compared to batch experiments. Various authors have modified fly ash by treatment with certain chemical agents (HCl, Ca (OH)2…) or by synthesis of zeolite based on fly ash. Modification of fly ash improves its adsorption properties, so in slightly acidic conditions (pH = 6), for a relatively short contact time (10-30 min), in batch conditions, significant adsorption efficiency (~ 90%) can be achieved.

The European Union permitted 6 antimicrobial agents that can be used in laying hens. These are colistin, tyrosine, neomycin, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and erythromycin. Antimicrobial drugs are used today primarily for the prevention and treatment of diseases in poultry and often (not in the EU) to stimulate growth. Because these drugs are often used irrationally, there are good chances that their residues will be found not only in poultry meat but also in the eggs within a certain period after the termination of treatment. In addition to the administration of authorised VMPs, the residues in eggs can be the result of erroneously applied medicated food, the contamination of the food with some antimicrobial drug in the mixing unit, as well as ?extra-label? use of drugs in poultry. The antimicrobial agents are distributed in the body and deposited in the eggs, mainly in the yolk where they persist longer than in the albumen. Drugs that are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract (aminoglycosides, aminocyclitols, polymyxins) cannot be detected in the eggs, while the residues of some antimicrobial drugs can be detected for up to two months (chloramphenicol) after the last treatment. The rational use of drugs in veterinary medicine has manifold significance. When using drugs only when they are really necessary (indicated), in the right dose and route of administration, the potential damage can be reduced and efficiency increased, while the risk of microorganism resistance development would be significantly decreased. All of this becomes more important when these drugs are used in food animals.