Healthcare access in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the light of European Union accession efforts

European Union (EU) member states are bound to ensure accessible, good quality healthcare for all of their citizens. In 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been named as a candidate for accession to EU membership as part of the “Strategy for the Western Balkans”. This scoping review identifies healthcare access issues in the country, aiming to inform policy-makers of challenges that may be faced in a possible membership application process and beyond. While the country has seemingly improved citizens’ healthcare access—as measured by the Healthcare Access and Quality Index—various specific problems remain unresolved. The main barrier to equal access appears to lie in the division of the healthcare system between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska, and the Brcko District, which also influences medicine availability and pricing. Although not necessarily systematic, studies further report distance from healthcare providers, alleged widespread corruption, discrimination of minorities and vulnerable populations, as well as vaccination gaps as problems in healthcare access for specific groups. While certainly not easy to realise, this scoping review concludes that possible solutions could include efforts to unify the healthcare and pricing system, and the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines List, as well as investigating and tackling corruption and stigma issues

Cognitive performance of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients: A comparison study

Kronična opstruktivna bolest pluća (KOPB) jedan je od vodećih uzroka smrtnosti u svijetu te se predviđa da će do 2050. biti drugi vodeći uzrok smrtnosti. Pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a imaju reduciranu fizičku pokretljivost, zadovoljstvo zdravljem i životom. Oštećenja kognitivnih funkcija povezuju se sa smanjenom oksigenacijom, jednom od glavnih posljedica dugoročne opstrukcije pluća. Oštećenja takve vrste doprinose lošoj dosljednosti uzimanja farmakoterapije i dovode do veće stope smrtnosti. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrditi da li pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a, čije svakodnevno funkcioniranje nije teško oštećeno, imaju oštećenja neurokognitivnih funkcija u usporedbi s uzorkom sudionika bez dijagnoze. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 40 sudionika s KOPB-om i 45 sudionika kontrolne grupe (balansiranih s obzirom na dob, spol i obrazovanje), čije su kognitivne funkcije ispitane pomoću Hrvatske verzije Normacog kratke baterije, kratkog neuropsihologijskog skupa testova kojim se dobiva cjelovit pregled funkcija pojedinca u osam kognitivnih domena. Kako nisu pronađene razlike u rezultatima na mjerama kognitivnog funkcioniranja, možemo pretpostaviti da blaga opstrukcija pluća ne narušava kognitivno funkcioniranje. Kod sudionika s dijagnozom KOPB-a rezultati na određenim domenama kognitivnog funkcioniranja značajno su povezani s objektivnim mjerama plućnih funkcija, dok je razinu stresa, anksioznosti i depresivnosti moguće prognozirati putem subjektivnog doživljaja ograničenja svakodnevnog funkcioniranja uzrokovanih plućnim poteškoćama. Buduća istraživanja trebala bi podrobnije istražiti na koji način određene kognitivne funkcije deterioriraju s obzirom na trajanje bolesti i objektivne plućne poteškoće osoba s težim stupnjem oštećenja.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world and is propagating to become the second main cause of death by 2050. Individuals diagnosed with COPD have a reduced physical mobility, satisfaction with health and life as a whole. Impairments in cognitive functioning have been linked to lowered oxygenation, one of the main consequences of long-term COPD. Such impairments contribute to poor medication adherence and lead to higher mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine whether individuals with a diagnosis of COPD, whose everyday functioning was not severely affected by the illness, had impaired neurocognitive functions when compared to a matched sample without a diagnosis of COPD. Study included 40 patients and 45 control subjects (matched for age, gender and education), which were tested with the Croatian version of the Normacog Brief Battery, a short neuropsychological tool, which provides a comprehensive overview of eight cognitive domains. No differences were found on any of the measures and thus we could conclude that mild pulmonary impairment does not have a detrimental impact on cognitive functioning. Overall, the cognitive functioning in certain domain was significantly correlated to objective measures of lung function measures. The subjective experience of stress, anxiety, and depression was related to a subjective measure of everyday impairments related to lung problems, but not to objective lung functions. Further studies should explore how particular cognitive functions decline in relation to disease duration and pulmonary function decline in a more severely impaired sample

Cognitive performance of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients: A comparison study

Kronična opstruktivna bolest pluća (KOPB) jedan je od vodećih uzroka smrtnosti u svijetu te se predviđa da će do 2050. biti drugi vodeći uzrok smrtnosti. Pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a imaju reduciranu fizičku pokretljivost, zadovoljstvo zdravljem i životom. Oštećenja kognitivnih funkcija povezuju se sa smanjenom oksigenacijom, jednom od glavnih posljedica dugoročne opstrukcije pluća. Oštećenja takve vrste doprinose lošoj dosljednosti uzimanja farmakoterapije i dovode do veće stope smrtnosti. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrditi da li pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a, čije svakodnevno funkcioniranje nije teško oštećeno, imaju oštećenja neurokognitivnih funkcija u usporedbi s uzorkom sudionika bez dijagnoze. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 40 sudionika s KOPB-om i 45 sudionika kontrolne grupe (balansiranih s obzirom na dob, spol i obrazovanje), čije su kognitivne funkcije ispitane pomoću Hrvatske verzije Normacog kratke baterije, kratkog neuropsihologijskog skupa testova kojim se dobiva cjelovit pregled funkcija pojedinca u osam kognitivnih domena. Kako nisu pronađene razlike u rezultatima na mjerama kognitivnog funkcioniranja, možemo pretpostaviti da blaga opstrukcija pluća ne narušava kognitivno funkcioniranje. Kod sudionika s dijagnozom KOPB-a rezultati na određenim domenama kognitivnog funkcioniranja značajno su povezani s objektivnim mjerama plućnih funkcija, dok je razinu stresa, anksioznosti i depresivnosti moguće prognozirati putem subjektivnog doživljaja ograničenja svakodnevnog funkcioniranja uzrokovanih plućnim poteškoćama. Buduća istraživanja trebala bi podrobnije istražiti na koji način određene kognitivne funkcije deterioriraju s obzirom na trajanje bolesti i objektivne plućne poteškoće osoba s težim stupnjem oštećenja.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world and is propagating to become the second main cause of death by 2050. Individuals diagnosed with COPD have a reduced physical mobility, satisfaction with health and life as a whole. Impairments in cognitive functioning have been linked to lowered oxygenation, one of the main consequences of long-term COPD. Such impairments contribute to poor medication adherence and lead to higher mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine whether individuals with a diagnosis of COPD, whose everyday functioning was not severely affected by the illness, had impaired neurocognitive functions when compared to a matched sample without a diagnosis of COPD. Study included 40 patients and 45 control subjects (matched for age, gender and education), which were tested with the Croatian version of the Normacog Brief Battery, a short neuropsychological tool, which provides a comprehensive overview of eight cognitive domains. No differences were found on any of the measures and thus we could conclude that mild pulmonary impairment does not have a detrimental impact on cognitive functioning. Overall, the cognitive functioning in certain domain was significantly correlated to objective measures of lung function measures. The subjective experience of stress, anxiety, and depression was related to a subjective measure of everyday impairments related to lung problems, but not to objective lung functions. Further studies should explore how particular cognitive functions decline in relation to disease duration and pulmonary function decline in a more severely impaired sample

Cognitive performance of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients: A comparison study

Kronična opstruktivna bolest pluća (KOPB) jedan je od vodećih uzroka smrtnosti u svijetu te se predviđa da će do 2050. biti drugi vodeći uzrok smrtnosti. Pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a imaju reduciranu fizičku pokretljivost, zadovoljstvo zdravljem i životom. Oštećenja kognitivnih funkcija povezuju se sa smanjenom oksigenacijom, jednom od glavnih posljedica dugoročne opstrukcije pluća. Oštećenja takve vrste doprinose lošoj dosljednosti uzimanja farmakoterapije i dovode do veće stope smrtnosti. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja je utvrditi da li pojedinci s dijagnozom KOPB-a, čije svakodnevno funkcioniranje nije teško oštećeno, imaju oštećenja neurokognitivnih funkcija u usporedbi s uzorkom sudionika bez dijagnoze. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 40 sudionika s KOPB-om i 45 sudionika kontrolne grupe (balansiranih s obzirom na dob, spol i obrazovanje), čije su kognitivne funkcije ispitane pomoću Hrvatske verzije Normacog kratke baterije, kratkog neuropsihologijskog skupa testova kojim se dobiva cjelovit pregled funkcija pojedinca u osam kognitivnih domena. Kako nisu pronađene razlike u rezultatima na mjerama kognitivnog funkcioniranja, možemo pretpostaviti da blaga opstrukcija pluća ne narušava kognitivno funkcioniranje. Kod sudionika s dijagnozom KOPB-a rezultati na određenim domenama kognitivnog funkcioniranja značajno su povezani s objektivnim mjerama plućnih funkcija, dok je razinu stresa, anksioznosti i depresivnosti moguće prognozirati putem subjektivnog doživljaja ograničenja svakodnevnog funkcioniranja uzrokovanih plućnim poteškoćama. Buduća istraživanja trebala bi podrobnije istražiti na koji način određene kognitivne funkcije deterioriraju s obzirom na trajanje bolesti i objektivne plućne poteškoće osoba s težim stupnjem oštećenja.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world and is propagating to become the second main cause of death by 2050. Individuals diagnosed with COPD have a reduced physical mobility, satisfaction with health and life as a whole. Impairments in cognitive functioning have been linked to lowered oxygenation, one of the main consequences of long-term COPD. Such impairments contribute to poor medication adherence and lead to higher mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine whether individuals with a diagnosis of COPD, whose everyday functioning was not severely affected by the illness, had impaired neurocognitive functions when compared to a matched sample without a diagnosis of COPD. Study included 40 patients and 45 control subjects (matched for age, gender and education), which were tested with the Croatian version of the Normacog Brief Battery, a short neuropsychological tool, which provides a comprehensive overview of eight cognitive domains. No differences were found on any of the measures and thus we could conclude that mild pulmonary impairment does not have a detrimental impact on cognitive functioning. Overall, the cognitive functioning in certain domain was significantly correlated to objective measures of lung function measures. The subjective experience of stress, anxiety, and depression was related to a subjective measure of everyday impairments related to lung problems, but not to objective lung functions. Further studies should explore how particular cognitive functions decline in relation to disease duration and pulmonary function decline in a more severely impaired sample

A six-beam method to measure turbulence statistics using ground-based wind lidars

A so-called six-beam method is proposed to measure atmospheric turbulence using a ground-based wind lidar. This method requires measurement of the radial velocity variances at five equally spaced azimuth angles on the base of a scanning cone and one measurement at the centre of the scanning circle, i.e.using a vertical beam at the same height. The scanning configuration is optimized to minimize the sum of the random errors in the measurement of the second-order moments of the components (u,v, w) of the wind field. We present this method as an alternative to the so-called velocity azimuth display (VAD) method that is routinely used in commercial wind lidars, and which usually results in significant averaging effects of measured turbulence. In the VAD method, the high frequency radial velocity measurements are used instead of their variances. The measurements are performed using a pulsed lidar (WindScanner), and the derived turbulence statistics (using both methods) such as the u and v variances are compared with those obtained from a reference cup anemometer and a wind vane at 89 m height under different atmospheric stabilities. The measurements show that in comparison to the reference cup anemometer, depending on the atmospheric stability and the wind field component, the six-beam method measures between 85 and 101% of the reference turbulence, whereas the VAD method measures between 66 and 87% of the reference turbulence

The science behind the magic?. The relation of the Harry Potter “Sorting Hat Quiz” to personality and human values

The Harry Potter series describes the adventures of a boy and his peers in a fictional world at the “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”. In the series, pupils get appointed to one of four groups (Houses) at the beginning of their education based on their personality traits. The author of the books has constructed an online questionnaire that allows fans to find out their House affiliation. Crysel, Cook, Schember, and Webster (2015) argued that being sorted into a particular Hogwarts House through the Sorting Hat Quiz is related to empirically established personality traits. We replicated their study while improving on sample size, methods, and analysis. Although our results are similar, effect sizes are small overall, which attenuates the claims by Crysel et al. The effect vanishes when restricting the analysis to participants who desired, but were not sorted into a particular House. On a theoretical level, we extend previous research by also analysing the relation of the Hogwarts Houses to Schwartz’s Basic Human Values but find only moderate or no relation

Healthcare access in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the light of European Union accession efforts

European Union (EU) member states are bound to ensure accessible, good quality healthcare for all of their citizens. In 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been named as a candidate for accession to EU membership as part of the “Strategy for the Western Balkans”. This scoping review identifies healthcare access issues in the country, aiming to inform policy-makers of challenges that may be faced in a possible membership application process and beyond. While the country has seemingly improved citizens’ healthcare access—as measured by the Healthcare Access and Quality Index—various specific problems remain unresolved. The main barrier to equal access appears to lie in the division of the healthcare system between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska, and the Brcko District, which also influences medicine availability and pricing. Although not necessarily systematic, studies further report distance from healthcare providers, alleged widespread corruption, discrimination of minorities and vulnerable populations, as well as vaccination gaps as problems in healthcare access for specific groups. While certainly not easy to realise, this scoping review concludes that possible solutions could include efforts to unify the healthcare and pricing system, and the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines List, as well as investigating and tackling corruption and stigma issues

Long-Range WindScanner System

The technical aspects of a multi-Doppler LiDAR instrument, the long-range WindScanner system, are presented accompanied by an overview of the results from several field campaigns. The long-range WindScanner system consists of three spatially-separated, scanning coherent Doppler LiDARs and a remote master computer that coordinates them. The LiDARs were carefully engineered to perform user-defined and time-controlled scanning trajectories. Their wireless coordination via the master computer allows achieving and maintaining the LiDARs' synchronization within ten milliseconds. The long-rangeWindScanner system measures the wind field by emitting and directing three laser beams to intersect, and then scanning the beam intersection over a region of interest. The long-range WindScanner system was developed to tackle the need for high-quality observations of wind fields on scales of modern wind turbine and wind farms. It has been in operation since 2013

Quantum computer-aided design of quantum optics hardware

The parameters of a quantum system grow exponentially with the number of involved quantum particles. Hence, the associated memory requirement to store or manipulate the underlying wavefunction goes well beyond the limit of the best classical computers for quantum systems composed of a few dozen particles, leading to serious challenges in their numerical simulation. This implies that the verification and design of new quantum devices and experiments are fundamentally limited to small system size. It is not clear how the full potential of large quantum systems can be exploited. Here, we present the concept of quantum computer designed quantum hardware and apply it to the field of quantum optics. Specifically, we map complex experimental hardware for high-dimensional, many-body entangled photons into a gate-based quantum circuit. We show explicitly how digital quantum simulation of Boson sampling experiments can be realized. We then illustrate how to design quantum-optical setups for complex entangled photonic systems, such as high-dimensional Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger states and their derivatives. Since photonic hardware is already on the edge of quantum supremacy and the development of gate-based quantum computers is rapidly advancing, our approach promises to be a useful tool for the future of quantum device design