SUMMARY The aim of the study was to investigate if preoperative blood flow velocity in femoral vein in different positions of the hip during total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a predictor of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In patients undergoing THA, blood flow velocity and diameter of proximal femoral vein on THA side were measured preoperatively in four flexion positions of the hip. After THA, patients were followed up for 42 days for DVT occurrence, and clinical features of patients with and without postoperative DVT were compared. The mean blood flow velocity in maximal flexion (90º+) preoperatively was significantly lower in patients with postoperative DVT (19/103) compared to patients without it (8.4±2 cm/s vs. 10.6±2.3 cm/s; p<0.001). Using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut-off value for blood flow velocity during maximal flexion was 8.24 cm/s. In addition, anesthesia duration, duration of surgical position of the patient, body mass index, amount of blood transfused after surgery, and clinical signs of DVT were markedly different between patients with and those without postoperative DVT. Blood flow velocity in femoral vein in maximal flexion of the hip (90º+) measured prior to THA is an independent predictor of postoperative DVT.

It is well-known that determining the optimal number of guards which can cover the interior of a simple nonconvex polygon presents an NP-hard problem. The optimal guard placement can be described as a problem which seeks for the smallest number of guards required to cover every point in a complex environment. In this paper, we propose an exact twophase method as well as an approximate method for tackling the mentioned issue. The proposed exact approach in the first phase maps camera placement problem to the set covering problem, while in the second phase it uses famous state-of-the-art CPLEX solver to address set covering problem. The performance of our combined exact algorithm was compared to the performance of the approximate one. According to the results presented in the experimental analysis, it can be seen that the exact approach outperforms the approximate method for all instances.

Abstract The goal of the present study was to examine the predictors of reading speed and reading comprehension in third-grade students from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). The sample consisted of 168 third-grade students (86 boys, 82 girls) attending regular schools in Canton Sarajevo, BIH. We examined the effects of phonological awareness (phoneme deletion and rhyming), rapid automatized naming (RAN) of letters and objects, semantic fluency, working memory, and processing speed, on three reading speed tasks and a reading comprehension task. For the reading speed tasks, total amount of explained variance was 33% for reading a text passage, 40% for word reading and 36% for pseudoword reading. The most important predictors of reading speed tasks were phoneme deletion task and RAN: Letters. On the other hand, the model explaining reading comprehension was much less predictive and explained about 11% of variance. Significant predictors of reading comprehension were working memory and processing speed. The results of this study are very informative in creating better models of reading. This in turn will help create better reading intervention programs and potentially reduce the number of children with reading disabilities.

Vehicle routing problem as the generalization of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) is one of the most studied optimization problems. Industry itself pays special attention to this problem, since transportation is one of the most crucial segments in supplying goods. This paper presents an innovative cluster-based approach for the successful solving of real-world vehicle routing problems that can involve extremely complex VRP problems with many customers needing to be served. The validation of the entire approach was based on the real data of a distribution company, with transport savings being in a range of 10-20 %. At the same time, the transportation routes are completely feasible, satisfying all the realistic constraints and conditions.

BACKGROUND Cryptorchidism is the most common male urogenital tract disorder identified at birth. Treatment delays of cryptorchidism may be associated with significant complications such as subfertility and testicular cancer. The currently recommended age for performing orchidopexy is between 6 and 12 months of age and no later than 18 months. The aim of this study was to investigate the trends in the pattern of referral and age of boys at the time of operative treatment of congenital cryptorchidism at the largest tertiary care center in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS The study included all boys who underwent orchidopexy for congenital cryptorchidism during two equivalents periods: 2008-2010 and 2015-2017. We assessed the referral age of patients, the age of patients at the time of orchidopexy, laterality of cryptorchidism, position of cryptorchidic testes palpated before surgery, the intraoperative position of cryptorchidic testis, a clinical position of the testis at follow up, and risk factors for late orchidopexy. RESULTS In total, 324 patients with 386 testes underwent orchidopexy for congenital cryptorchidism during the study periods. Of these patients, 62 received a bilateral orchidopexy (19.1%). Total referral age of patients with congenital cryptorchidism was 23 months (range, 4-74.5 months). Total median age at surgery was 24 months (range, 6-74 months). One hundred and eleven patients (28.8%) underwent surgery at less than the age of 12 months, 136 (35.2%) at less than the age of 18 months, and 250 (64.8%) patients underwent surgery after the age of 18 months. The analysis of the observed two periods (2008-2010 and 2015-2017) showed a statistically significant decrease in the mean referral age and the mean age at surgery over the last 5 years (2015-2017) (p = 0.007 and p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Current guidelines for timely operative treatment for congenital cryptorchidism have not been fully implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina but a gradual improvement is evident. The main factor contributing to delays in orchidopexy was delayed or neglected referral by referring physicians. Optimizing the time of orchidopexy will require an improved coordination at all levels of pediatric health care to diminish the long-term consequences of cryptorchidism. TYPE OF STUDY Retrospective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.

Introduction: The liver is the largest gland in the human body, and serves to store nutrients and neutralize harmful compounds. The liver plays a very important role in a number of metabolic, both catabolic and anabolic processes, and is therefore called the „central laboratory“ of the organism. If liver disease occurs, they can affect all its parts–liver cells, bile ducts, blood and lymph vessels. The liver is damaged by various toxins, drugs, infections, disturbances in the blood supply and other disorders. Diet therapy has been a part of the process in the treatment of liver disease for a while. The therapeutic principle is better known as the „liver diet“. The liver diet not only means the replenishment of calories and nutrients, but it significantly affects the course of the disease. Aim: The aim of the research is to show that diet therapy plays an important role in the treatment of liver disease as a component for faster recovery of the liver and restoration of its normal function, as well as protecting the liver after overcoming the disease. Results: Among the respondents, there were 39 men (64%) and 22 women (36%) who had liver disease as a chronic condition. Most respondents are between 51 and 65 years old (28 and 46%, respectively), while the least number of respondents are in the 20 to 30 age group. The largest number of respondents cited alcohol as the cause of the disease, 31 of them (50.8%), while the virus was the cause of the disease in 15 respondents (24.5%). Of the total sample, most respondents answered that they sometimes (45.9%) or often (47.5%) overeat. The results of the questionnaire showed that 85.2% of the respondents were smokers before the diagnosis of the disease. In most respondents, the food they ate before diagnosis was moderately fatty (52.5%). Using chi-square tests, it was found that there are statistically significant differences in the consumption of almost all foods before the diagnosis of the disease and after the obtained dietary recommendations (p<0.05). Conclusions: The aim of the research was confirmed that diet therapy plays an important role in the treatment of liver disease as a component for faster recovery of the liver and restoration of its normal function, and after overcoming the disease it still protects the liver. The main purpose of creating a diet therapy program and plan proved to be significant and necessary because more than half of the respondents rated our advice as excellent. As most causes of liver disease can be prevented, it is necessary to work on familiarizing the population with risk factors, promote a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, and identify at-risk patients who must enter the monitoring system for early detection of liver disease.

Introduction The liver is the largest gland in the human body, and serves to store nutrients and neutralize harmful compounds. The liver plays a very important role in a number of metabolic, both catabolic and anabolic processes, and is therefore called the "central laboratory" of the organism. If liver disease occurs, they can affect all its parts-liver cells, bile ducts, blood and lymph vessels. The liver is damaged by various toxins, drugs, infections, disturbances in the blood supply and other disorders. Diet therapy has been a part of the process in the treatment of liver disease for a while. The therapeutic principle is better known as the "liver diet". The liver diet not only means the replenishment of calories and nutrients, but it significantly affects the course of the disease. Aim The aim of the research is to show that diet therapy plays an important role in the treatment of liver disease as a component for faster recovery of the liver and restoration of its normal function, as well as protecting the liver after overcoming the disease. Results Among the respondents, there were 39 men (64%) and 22 women (36%) who had liver disease as a chronic condition. Most respondents are between 51 and 65 years old (28 and 46%, respectively), while the least number of respondents are in the 20 to 30 age group. The largest number of respondents cited alcohol as the cause of the disease, 31 of them (50.8%), while the virus was the cause of the disease in 15 respondents (24.5%). Of the total sample, most respondents answered that they sometimes (45.9%) or often (47.5%) overeat. The results of the questionnaire showed that 85.2% of the respondents were smokers before the diagnosis of the disease. In most respondents, the food they ate before diagnosis was moderately fatty (52.5%). Using chi-square tests, it was found that there are statistically significant differences in the consumption of almost all foods before the diagnosis of the disease and after the obtained dietary recommendations (p<0.05). Conclusions The aim of the research was confirmed that diet therapy plays an important role in the treatment of liver disease as a component for faster recovery of the liver and restoration of its normal function, and after overcoming the disease it still protects the liver. The main purpose of creating a diet therapy program and plan proved to be significant and necessary because more than half of the respondents rated our advice as excellent. As most causes of liver disease can be prevented, it is necessary to work on familiarizing the population with risk factors, promote a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, and identify at-risk patients who must enter the monitoring system for early detection of liver disease.

Bosnian language is a very important factor of Bosniak identity. It owns active and passive vocabulary. Bosniak identity is confirmed by the Bosnian language. Identity and language are causally linked.

Introduction: Diabetes and depression are two common and major non-communicable diseases with significant disease burdens worldwide. Aim: The aim of this study is to obtain the association among A1C levels and symptoms of depression in patients with type 2 diabetes in family medicine offices. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between June 2016 and July 2017. We recruited 150 adults with type 2 diabetes from various family medicine offices. The study questionnaire had two parts; the first one for participants and the second one for family medicine physicians. Participants completed the part of the questionnaire with the PHQ-9 scale and questions regarding demographic data. Family medicine physicians completed the part of the questionnaire with questions concerning clinical data. A univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to identify significant predictors of depressive symptoms revealed by the PHQ-9 score. Results: Multiple linear regression showed that the level of A1C was a significant predictor of the PHQ-9 score in all three models. Increases in the A1C level were followed by increases in depressive symptoms. Other significant predictors of a positive PHQ-9 score were smoking, level of education and income. Conclusion: The level of A1C as an indicator of glycemic control has been shown to have a significant association with the scores of the PHQ-9 questionnaire, which identifies the intensity of symptoms of depression. An increase in the level of A1C is followed by an increase in the intensity of symptoms of depression.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), like any other pandemic, has imposed an unprecedented threat to physical and mental health to all nations, worldwide. There is no enough evidence in the literature in this area. The present study has been done to explore the organization of psychiatric services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) to meet mental health needs of BH citizens during the particular restrictive measures caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This online survey has been done for BH psychiatric institutions. Data were collected from psychiatric institutions in the mental health network of BH. A total of 38 complete responses have been received. Results: Of 38 study participants, three were the departments of psychiatry in university clinical centers, two were psychiatric hospitals, four were psychiatric wards in general hospitals, 27 were community mental health centers, and two were institutes for alcoholism and drug addiction. During the pandemic, all services functioned on a reduced scale, adhering to measures to protect and self-protect both staff and service users. Protective equipment was provided to staff in some institutions in a timely and complete manner and in some in an untimely and incomplete manner. Consultative psychiatric examinations were mainly performed through telephone and online, where it exists as a standard patient monitoring protocol. The application of long-acting antipsychotics was continuous with adherence to restricted and protective measures. In opiate addiction replacement therapy services, substitution therapy was provided for a longer period to reduce frequent contacts between staff and patients. Individual and group psychotherapy continued in reduced number using online technologies, although this type of service was not administratively regulated. An initiative has been given to regulate and administratively recognize telepsychiatry by health insurance funds in the country. A number of psychological problems associated with restrictive measures and fear of illness have been reported by patients as well as by the professionals in mental healthcare teams. There were no COVID-19-positive patients seeking help from institutions that responded to the questionnaire. In one center, infected people with COVID-19 from abroad sought help through the phone. Only one involuntary hospitalization was reported. The involvement of mental health professionals in the work of crisis headquarters during the design of the COVID-19 pandemic control measures varies from satisfactory to insufficient. Education of staff, patients, and citizens was regular with direct instructions through meetings, press, and electronic media. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic in BH, all psychiatric services functioned on a reduced scale, adhering to measures to protect and self-protect staff and service users. All patients who asked for help have been adequately treated in direct inpatient or outpatient mental healthcare or online, despite telepsychiatric services not being recognized in health system in BH. There were neither infected patients nor staff with COVID-19 in the psychiatric institutions who responded in this research. A large-scale, multicenter study needs to be performed to get a broader picture and to guide us for future better service planning and delivery.

Introduction: Cigarette or hookah smoking, as well as alcohol consumption and abuse, are considered to be the most common etiological factors for the onset of oral cavity diseases, such as changes on the lips, tongue, stomatopyrosis, glossopyrosis, candidiasis. Aim: Research aims to determine the harmful effect of smoking the hookah as well as other harmful factors on the oral health of the student population of the Faculty of Dentistry in Sarajevo. Methods: The fourth, fifth, and sixth-year students of the Faculty of Dentistry in Sarajevo participated in this cross-sectional study. All of them are systemically healthy and consume some harmful habits: smoking cigarettes, alcohol consumption, and hookah. All students participated in the study voluntarily and they signed informed consent before the clinical examination. All the subjects gave an extensive medical history which recorded all the data on oral hygiene, harmful habits, manner and length of consumption; they were also given a clinical examination of the oral mucosa and the periodontium, as well as determining periodontal indices, and oral tests that are used for diagnostic purposes. The data is entered into work charts specially designed for these purposes. Results: The results are statistically processed in the SPSS Statistics 21.0 program and are discussed along with the results of other authors, published in relevant databases. Conclusion: The conclusion consists of important facts that originate from the results and the discussion.

Abstract This research includes all banks in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and testing internal and external variables on bank profitability indicators. The primary goal of this paper is to determine, through correlation and regression analysis, the strength and significance of the external and internal variables on bank profitability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Likewise, data were collected from quarterly reports of the Banking Agency of the Federation of B&H and the Banking Agency of the Republika Srpska for the period 2008 Q1 to 2019 Q4. The following dependent variables were used: ROA, ROE and independent variables: GRNGL, GRNPL, GRGDP, concentration ratio of loans of the largest banks in the system (CR Loans), concentration ratio of deposits of the largest banks in the system (CR Deposits), CAR and loan-to-deposit ratio. The study found that there is a significant statistical impact of the variables on ROA and ROE. In addition, this study points out the need for banks to properly select debtors, and control costs, toxic loans and provisions in order to increase profits and reduce costs.

SUMMARY The purpose of the study was to retrospectively analyze the prevalence of oral cavity, neck and head tumors recorded at our department over a period of 3 years. Retrospective analysis included archival data on cancer patients treated at our department during the 2015-2017 period. A total of 1005 patients with proven carcinomas were selected for final analysis. Cancers were detected by ultrasound, x-ray, biopsy and clinical diagnosis. The mean age of patients was 58.4±19.3 years. The majority of cases (n=264; 26.3%) were detected in the 7th decade of life. The most common cancers were basal cell carcinoma in 374 (37.2%) and squamous cell carcinoma in 228 (22.7%) cases. The male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1. There was no statistically significant age difference between genders. Recurrence of tumor occurred in 31 patients. The most common risk factor in both groups was sun exposure. The most common sites were lower lip, cheek and frontal region in men, and cheek region and nose in women (p<0.001). Men were found to be more susceptible to cancer development. This study showed differences between age groups, i.e. elderly patients had a much higher probability of developing cancer as compared to younger patients.