Factors associated with low birth weight in low-income populations in the Western Balkans: insights from the multiple indicator cluster survey.

Introduction: Low birth weight, defined as a birth weight below 2,500 g, represents a significant public health concern with a multifactorial risk dimension. Socio-demographic factors and individual characteristics of women and their social environment could influence low birth weight. This study aimed to analyze the association between the socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics of women living in low-income households and low birth weight in Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro.

Injury prevention in youth football (soccer): a comprehensive description of the development process of the 'FUNBALL' programme.

Many football injury prevention programmes (IPPs) have been developed to target various injuries and populations. There was no specific IPP for youth players in place before. However, several existing IPPs designed for adults were also assessed in the youth population.

A Study on Gastrointestinal Tract of Bardhoka Autochthonous Sheep Breed in Kosovo.

The Bardhoka sheep breed, also known as Dukagjini white sheep (Ovis aries), is considered to be a medium-sized sheep that is a typical grazing ruminant. The aim of this study was to investigate and measure the parameters of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of Bardhoka sheep to determine the morphometry, volume, ratio and surface areas of its different parts. The GIT of eight adult healthy Bardhoka sheep with an average body mass (BM) of 57.

Challenges of Occupational Health and Safety Management in Healthcare Institutions in Kosovo.

Background: Occupational health and safety (OHS) in healthcare institutions are crucial for the well-being of healthcare workers who are exposed to numerous risks in their working environment. In Kosovo, where healthcare institutions operate under resource constraints, understanding the challenges of OHS management challenges is vital for developing effective strategies.

Objective: This study aims to explore the challenges of OHS management in Kosovo's healthcare system, focusing on three levels of healthcare provision in both the public and private sectors.

Insights into general practitioners' self-care across 38 countries during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The adoption of healthy self-care practices has proven necessary for professional life, as they often serve as a shield against stressors in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created a high strain on general practitioners (GPs), contributing to increased workload, burnout, and anxiety. The present study aimed to identify self-care practices adopted by GPs amid the COVID-19 pandemic; and to explore the relationships between self-care practices and risk of distress.

Serum progastrin-releasing peptide in pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and early-stage primary lung cancers.

Introduction: Higher concentrations of the small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) serum marker, pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP), in lung inflammations has been indicated in literature. The objective of this study was to compare serum proGRP concentration in pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and early-stage primary lung cancers.

Materials And Methods: An observational study was performed to assess serum proGRP against other lung cancer markers in pneumonia, COPD and in stage 1/2 carcinomas.

Social participation in health - case studies from primary health care in Kosovo.

Background: Participation and inclusion of service users in health governance impact the quality of care and citizen well-being. In developing countries, such as Kosovo, disadvantaged groups are particularly important due to deep exclusionary structures and multiple systemic barriers to participation and care provision.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of three interventions on social participation in decision-making in several primary healthcare sites among the population and particularly vulnerable groups, i.

Predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic healthy non-diabetic postmenopausal women.

Background And Aim: Cardiovascular disease progresses after menopause. Conventional risk factors, particularly diabetes, for atherosclerosis are well-established predictors of phenotypic arterial disease. The aim of this study is to assess the predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic non-diabetic postmenopausal women.

The Efficacy of Multiwavelength Red and Near-Infrared Transdermal Photobiomodulation Light Therapy in Enhancing Female Fertility Outcomes and Improving Reproductive Health: A Prospective Case Series with 9-Month Follow-Up.

: Female infertility due to unexpected causes exhibits a great challenge for both clinicians and women who are trying to conceive. The present clinical case series study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of multiple wavelengths of red and near-infrared (NIR) laser photobiomodulation (PBM) for increasing the potential of fertility in women and improving reproductive health in unexplained infertility issues. The objectives were to assess the following: (1) any adverse effects; (2) the possibility of producing an effective PBM protocol; (3) and healthy live birth.

Refractive Outcomes After Cataract Surgery-The Impact of Preoperative Visual Acuity, the Intraocular Lens Model, and the Surgeon's Experience: An Empirical Analysis of Hungarian and Kosovan Patients.

Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation comprise a standard procedure for cataract treatment. However, minimal refractive error remains a determinant of postoperative results. Our study aimed to evaluate the refractive outcomes and the impact of the surgeon's experience and the IOL model on Kosovan and Hungarian patients after cataract surgery.

Zoonotic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ixodes ricinus Complex (Acari: Ixodidae) From Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Kosovo.

Introduction: Ixodes ricinus, the castor bean tick, is the most prevalent tick species in Europe. It favours habitats such as shrubs, deciduous and mixed forests, but can also be found in urban environments. Due to its high vector competence, it is of enormous veterinary as well as medical importance, transmitting tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus, Borrelia burgdorferi s.

Description of Mesophylax isly sp. nov. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae) from Morocco, and new genus records from the Balkans.

The male and female genitalia of Mesophylax isly Ibrahimi, Taybi & Mabrouki sp. nov. (Limnephilidae) are described based on material collected from the Isly River in Morocco.

Larval description of Setodes acutus Navás 1936, (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Algeria, including a discriminatory matrix to the known Setodes larvae from the Maghreb region.

The hitherto unknown larva of Setodes acutus Navás 1936 from the Aures region, Algeria, is described. The diagnostic features of the species are explained and illustrated, and morphological comparisons are made with Setodes argentipunctellus McLachlan 1877, recently recorded from the region. In addition, a discriminatory matrix to the known Setodes larvae from the Maghreb region is provided.

The trend in national childhood immunization program coverage throughout Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija from 2003 to 2022: pre-COVID-19 period vs. COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The childhood immunization coverage in Serbian communities in Kosovo after the 1999 armed conflict has not been investigated. The study purpose was to evaluate the trend of immunization coverage with vaccines from the national childhood immunization program in Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija from 2003 to 2022.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the annual reports of the Public Health Institute of Kosovska Mitrovica received through notifications from the primary health centers where vaccines are being administered.

Optimization of UAE-NADES green extraction of bioactive compounds from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) sprouts using simplex lattice mixture design methodology.

In the present study, a statistical tool called the simplex lattice mixture design method was used to create a new formulation of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES), which is derived from a combination of three compounds (citric acid, glycerol, and water) to extract bioactive compounds from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) sprouts. The mixture (natural deep eutectic solvent) was formulated by combining three solvents including citric acid, glycerol, and water.

Parental Assessment of Postsurgical Pain in Infants at Home Using Artificial Intelligence-Enabled and Observer-Based Tools: Construct Validity and Clinical Utility Evaluation Study.

Background: Pain assessment in the infant population is challenging owing to their inability to verbalize and hence self-report pain. Currently, there is a paucity of data on how parents identify and manage this pain at home using standardized pain assessment tools.

Objective: This study aimed to explore parents' assessment and intervention of pain in their infants at home following same-day surgery, using standardized pain assessment tools.

Alternative Splicing: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Hematological Malignancies.

Leukemia represents the most prevalent malignancy in children, constituting 30% of childhood cancer cases, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) being particularly heterogeneous. This paper explores the role of alternative splicing in leukemia, highlighting its significance in cancer development and progression. Aberrant splicing is often driven by mutations in splicing-factor genes, which can lead to the production of variant proteins that contribute to oncogenesis.

Algorithm for Key Transparency with Transparent Logs.

Background: Cryptography plays a crucial role in securing digital communications and data storage. This study evaluates the Transparent Key Management Algorithm utilizing Merkle trees, focusing on its performance and security effectiveness in cryptographic key handling.

Methods: The research employs simulated experiments to systematically measure and analyze key operational metrics such as insertion and verification times.

Tracing metallurgical links and silver provenance in Balkan coinage (5th -1st centuries BCE).

Unlabelled: Local types of coinage testify to the emerging use of silver in the Balkan interior, possibly related to abundant ore deposits in the region. Here, we present Pb isotope data for silver coins minted by local tribes and settlements (anepigraphic coins attributed to the Derrones/Laeaei, Damastion, Pelagia, Kings of Paeonia) between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE. For comparison, we analysed coinage of the potential Greek Dyrrhachium and Apollonia for their main element and Pb-Ag isotope compositions.

A Novel Fluorescent Chemosensor for Sensitive and Rapid Determination of Pb(II) Ions in Aqueous Environments.

This investigation devised an eco-friendly spectrofluorometric Pb(II) ion measurement approach. To determine Pb(II) ions, a polymeric fluorescence sensor membrane with excellent selectivity has been developed. It contains photoinitiators, functional monomers that can be cured under UV radiation, and cross-linking agents.