Sedentary behavior as a public health issue: Ergonomics as a useful tool

Background: Sedentary behavior carries the risk of musculoskeletal problems, especially in the lumbosacral region of the spinal column.  According to modern lifestyle, this has begun to be a public health issue. Objective: To point to the health risks of working at the computer and present an ergonomic analysis of the typical and improved position of workers in front of the computer, thereby reducing the chances of emergence occupational diseases. Results:  Changing the position of the subjects led to a change in lumbar pressure from 2,818 N/m2 to 351 N/m2. Software analysis of the changed position indicates that this position is acceptable, both for the lumbosacral region of the spine and for the abdominal muscles. Conclusions:  A change in body position will decrease lumbar moment and the load on the lumbosacral region of the spine. Work chair with lumbar support, the right desk height, setting the appropriate position of the monitor, selecting the optimal keyboard and mouse, dividing the workspace into appropriate zones, as well as changing lifestyle and habits should be part of the management of people who spend most of their working time in a sitting position

The physics of the electrode­‐electrolyte interface in ionic liquids

This study revealed the molecular mechanism of how ionic liquids function as electrolytes and how their inability to fully screen the electric fields of the electrodes can lead to poor battery performance. The theoretical understanding obtained in this work should pave the way towards novel ionic liquid-based battery technologies

Coping with the Trauma of War at Home and Abroad: The Case of Bosnian Residents and Refugees in Idaho’s Treasure Valley

It has been widely reported that exposure to war-related trauma leads to psychological difficulties in human beings, and it has been hypothesized that these psychological difficulties may be compounded when people leave their war-torn countries and begin their lives as refugees in a new country. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether members of the Treasure Valley’s Bosnian refugee population experience more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression stemming from the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina than do current Bosnian residents. The results indicated that local Bosnian refugees report more symptoms of PTSD than their Bosnian resident cohort, but not more symptoms of anxiety or depression

Lafora Disease during a Seven-Year Period, Bosnian and Herzegovinian experience

Abstract:Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy (Lafora disease, LD) is a fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder (with an onset in teenage years in previously normal adolescents). This paper represents a view of a patient diagnosed with Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy, over a course of seven years. A description of the initial manifestation of symptoms, doctors' attempts to combat the symptoms with drug treatment, further attempts towards reaching the correct diagnosis, the final confirmation of the Lafora diagnosis (mutation in the NHLRC1 gene), and the current state of the patient is presented. The absence of a positive family history, the lack of staff specialized in dealing with this or similar pathology, and the diagnostic inability to characterize this type of disorder in Bosnia and Herzegovina have led to a fair delay in diagnosing and beginning of an adequate pharmacological treatment. Overall, recent identification of LD cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina warrants an establishment of a Centre for Genetic Testing in order to ensure more humane counseling of an entire family whose family member(s) might be diagnosed with this devastating and currently an incurable disorder.Keywords: Progressive myoclonus epilepsy; Lafora disease; NHLRC1 mutatio

FROM HEART MURMUR TO ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS DIAGNOSTICS USING MACHINELEARNING ALGORITHMS

The most common clinical sign in pediatric cardiology is heart murmur, which can often be uncharacteristic. The aim of this research was to present the results of development of a classifier based on machine learning algorithms whose purpose is to classify organic murmur that occur in congenital heart defect (CHD). The study is based on the data collected at Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo during three-year period. Totally, 116 children aged from 1 to 15 years were enrolled in the study. Input parameters for classification are parameters obtained during basic physical examination and assessment of patient. First, analysis of relevance of the feature for classification was done using InfoGain, GainRatio, Relief and Correlation method. In the second step, classifiers based on Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine were developed and compared by performance. The results of this research suggest that high accuracy (>90%) classifier for detection of CHD based on 16 parameters can be developed. Such classifier with appropriate user interface would be valuable diagnostic aid to doctors and pediatricians at primary healthcare level for diagnostic of heart murmurs

The Psychological Effects of Exposure to Wartime Trauma in Bosnian Residents and Refugees: Implications for Treatment and Service Provision

It has been widely reported that exposure to war-related trauma leads to psychological distress in human beings, and it has been hypothesized that this psychological distress may be compounded when people leave their war-torn countries and begin their lives as refugees in a new country. In this study, we explored whether a systematic relationship existed between the level of traumatic wartime events experienced by Bosnian residents and refugees living in the western United States and their levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. We also explored whether differences in levels of these mental health problems existed between Bosnian residents and refugees. The results indicated that level of exposure to wartime trauma was significantly correlated to mental health problems on all three dimensions. Bosnian refugees reported significantly greater levels of PTSD than members of their Bosnian resident cohort, but not greater levels of anxiety or depression

FROM HEART MURMUR TO ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS DIAGNOSTICS USING MACHINELEARNING ALGORITHMS

The most common clinical sign in pediatric cardiology is heart murmur, which can often be uncharacteristic. The aim of this research was to present the results of development of a classifier based on machine learning algorithms whose purpose is to classify organic murmur that occur in congenital heart defect (CHD). The study is based on the data collected at Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo during three-year period. Totally, 116 children aged from 1 to 15 years were enrolled in the study. Input parameters for classification are parameters obtained during basic physical examination and assessment of patient. First, analysis of relevance of the feature for classification was done using InfoGain, GainRatio, Relief and Correlation method. In the second step, classifiers based on Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine were developed and compared by performance. The results of this research suggest that high accuracy (>90%) classifier for detection of CHD based on 16 parameters can be developed. Such classifier with appropriate user interface would be valuable diagnostic aid to doctors and pediatricians at primary healthcare level for diagnostic of heart murmurs

Office wall color influence on subjective response in patients with chronic heart failure

Heart failure is defined as a clinical state, which occurs as a result of structural or functional damage of ventricle with consequential blood hypo perfusion of organs (reduced stroke volume of heart muscle and/or increased intracardial pressure in rest or during work activity). Therapeutical monitoring of patient is imperative, and it includes assessment of objective and subjective state of patient, which is often guide for optimizing of pharmacological treatment. The aim of paper is assessment of the room wall color influence as one of the factor for optimizing the therapeutic modality of patients with diagnosis of heart failure. Findings suggest that the influence of color in environment can be neutral, enabling or disabling, and this is the aspect of treatment that needs to be investigated further in future.&nbsp

The Effectiveness of Youth-Centered Suicide Prevention Programs: The Case of a Longstanding Peer-Led Program in Alaska

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, posing a serious public health problem. The statistic is even more dire for youth between the ages of 10 and 20, for whom suicide represents the second leading cause of death. These trends have led to suicide prevention program implementation in high schools nationwide. Although it can be challenging to directly measure the effects of such programs on suicide rates, research shows that they can help reduce stigma and increase awareness. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the limited body of research examining the effectiveness of prevention programs. This will be accomplished by assessing a peer-led suicide prevention program in a state with one of the highest suicide rates: Alaska. Pre-and post-surveys will be administered to determine to what extent high school students’ beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about suicide change as a result of participation

Adults\u27 Alcohol Consumption Behaviour and Support for Restrictions on Youth-Oriented Alcohol Advertisements

Research suggests that underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States, and that many of the factors that influence minors to consume alcohol are environmental in their nature. One such factor is youth-oriented alcohol advertisements. Although many adults support restrictions on such advertisements, others do not or do so to a lesser degree. In this study, we explored one factor that may influence how strongly adults support restrictions on youth-oriented alcohol advertisements: The frequency with which adults themselves report consuming alcoholic beverages. A total of 767 adult Idahoans completed a survey asking about a variety of perceptions related to underage drinking, including whether they supported five types of restrictions on youth-oriented alcohol advertisement. They also answered a question about their own drinking behavior. The results revealed a significant effect of adults’ self-reported alcohol consumption behavior on their support for all five types of advertising restrictions. Adults who reported not consuming alcohol were significantly more supportive of all five types of advertising restrictions than those who reported consuming at least one alcoholic beverage in an average week. Significant differences in adults’ levels of support for all five types of advertising restriction were also revealed as a function of frequency with which adults consumed alcoholic beverages. Adults who reported consuming alcohol on one day in an average week reported significantly more support for all five types of advertising restrictions than those who reported consuming alcohol four or more days in an average week. These findings identify a population—heavier drinking adults—for education about problems associated with underage drinking and advertising alcohol to minors