Correlation of pre-existing comorbidities with disease severity in individuals infected with SARS-COV-2 virus.

Shortly after the first publication on the new disease called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), studies on the causal consequences of this disease began to emerge, initially focusing only on transmission methods, and later on its consequences analyzed in terms of gender, age, and the presence of comorbidities. The aim of our research is to determine which comorbidities have the greatest negative impact on the worsening of the disease, namely which comorbidities indicate a predisposition to severe Covid-19, and to understand the gender and age representation of participants and comorbidities. The results of our study show that the dominant gender is male at 54.4% and the age of 65 and older. The most common comorbidities are arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. The dominant group is recovered participants aged 65 and older, with comorbidities most frequently present in this group. The highest correlation between patients with different severity of the disease was found with cardiovascular diseases, while the coefficient is slightly lower for the relationship between patients with different disease severity and urinary system diseases and hypertension. According to the regression analysis results, we showed that urinary system diseases have the greatest negative impact on the worsening of Covid-19, with the tested coefficient b being statistically significant as it is 0.030 < 0.05. An increase in cardiovascular diseases affects the worsening of Covid-19, with the tested coefficient b being statistically significant as it is 0.030 < 0.05. When it comes to arterial hypertension, it has a small impact on the worsening of Covid-19, but its tested coefficient b is not statistically significant as it is 0.169 > 0.05. The same applies to diabetes mellitus, which also has a small impact on the worsening of Covid-19, but its tested coefficient b is not statistically significant as it is 0.336 > 0.05. Our study has shown that comorbidities such as urinary system diseases and cardiovascular diseases tend to have a negative impact on Covid-19, leading to a poor outcome resulting in death, while diabetes mellitus and hypertension have an impact but without statistical significance.

ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK MODELS FOR ESTIMATION OF ELECTRIC FIELD INTENSITY AND MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY IN THE PROXIMITY OF OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION LINE.

This paper considers the application of artificial neural network (ANN) models for electric field intensity and magnetic flux density estimation in the proximity of overhead transmission lines. Specifically, two distinct ANN models are used to facilitate independent estimation of electric field intensity and magnetic flux density in the proximity of overhead transmission lines. The considered ANN approach is systematically evaluated under different scenarios. An example of an overhead transmission line with horizontal phase conductor configuration is used to enable a direct comparison of the electric field intensity and magnetic flux density estimates generated by the two ANN models to measurement results obtained over the lateral profile. Further investigation of ANN models involves an extensive study whereby 13 different overhead transmission lines of horizontal configurations are used as the basis for comparing measurement results to estimates provided by the ANN models. In this study, the performance analysis of the ANN models was evaluated using coefficient of determination and root mean square error. The obtained results demonstrate that the considered ANN approach can be used to estimate the electric field intensity and magnetic flux density in the proximity of overhead transmission lines.

The Effectiveness of Leaflets and Posters as a Health Education Method.

INTRODUCTION: Health education is a process of acquiring knowledge and skills in order to improve the health of the individual and the community. It is considered the most effective, most economical and most rational aspect of health care and health culture. AIM: To provide data on the effectiveness of printed health-educational materials. METHODS: This is a quantitative, applied, descriptive-analytical study. According to the type of research, it presents a public health evaluation manipulative study with triple testing. The research was conducted in elementary schools in the Zenica-Doboj Canton. The total number of students participating in the research is divided into groups: examined, control group. The research consisted of four phases. The research tool is a modified questionnaire The Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) with 38 questions, 8 modules. RESULTS: The total number of respondents was 120. The method of distribution of health-educational posters shows a lower but still present statistical significance (p<0.05) in relation to the acquired knowledge and a change in attitudes between the conducted surveys at different time points. There is no statistically significant change (p>0.05) in the level of knowledge and attitudes using leaflets between conducted surveys at three different times. In the control group without education, there was a low statistical significance (p<0.05) in terms of changing the level of knowledge and attitudes. CONCLUSION: The distribution of health-educational posters is recommended in situations where it is necessary to reach a wide audience for a long period of time, if the site of the poster is protected. According to this study, there is no evidence that the leaflet distribution method should be used when it comes to the promotion of healthy lifestyles among healthy children. Alternative methods and ways of health education need to be identified.

Water Pipe as Growing Public Health Challenge Among School Children in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

INTRODUCTION: The water pipe is a form of tobacco smoking that recently become very popular among youth in many countries all over the globe. AIM: To highlight recent data collected through Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) 2019, related to knowledge, attitudes and behavior of school children and youth to water pipe consumption. METHODS: The GYTS questionnaire for the Federation of BiH 2019 contained 60 multiple-choice questions. The GYTS 2019 in the Federation of BiH was conducted in a total of 73 of the 75 sampled primary and secondary schools with a school response rate of 97.3%. From the 6,972 sampled students a total of 6,415 participated as eligible students in grades 8-9 of primary and 1st grade of secondary school, with a response rate for students of 92.0%. RESULTS: Survey findings show that almost half (44.1%) of the school children confirm ever smoking the water pipe, while Current smoking of water pipe is confirmed by 16.1% school children. CONCLUSION: There is a substantial need for implementing of systematic and inter sectorial tobacco control measures that involves a water pipe as new public health challenge among youth.

Infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus infection) and chronic hepatitis.

Aim To describe a case of an eight-year-old boy with chronic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hepatitis with incipient cirrhosis, rarely found in practice. Methods The diagnosis was based on findings of specific IgG serum antibodies and EBV positive liver biopsy. Other etiologies of hepatitis were excluded: autoimmune hepatitis, viral hepatitis A, B, or C, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), adenovirus infection, toxoplasma infection. Results A mild form of infectious mononucleosis with acute hepatitis without icterus was found in the boy first time at the age of three. He got sick again in april 2018 with fever, minor loss of appetite and weakness, skin and sclera were anicteric, no enlarged neck lymph nodes. Ultrasonography of the spleen revealed a spleen diameter of 10.7 cm, while the liver was 11.8 cm. Laboratory findings, sedimentation, blood count, C reactive protein (CRP) were all normal. Ten days and a month later an increase of aminotransferase was noticed. The liver biopsy and PCR EBV DNA were performed six months of disease onset. The disease had lasted for about one more year with loss of strength and an increase of aminotransferase with maximum value of 3-4 times higher than normal one. The therapy was supportive. Conclusion Chronic EBV hepatitis is very rare. In differential diagnosis of hepatitis and unclear febrile conditions, EBV infection should not be forgotten.

Tobacco and alcohol usage as risk factors of non-communicable diseases among students of Zenica University (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Aim To establish the presence of two risk factors, smoking and alcohol use, for non-communicable diseases among students at the University of Zenica. Methods The research was conducted at eight schools of the University of Zenica in the academic year 2016/2017 during the period from 1 December 2016 to 15 February 2017. The study involved 600 students 19-29 years of age (all years of study). The research was carried out with a standardized and validated questionnaire, the STEPS non-communicable Disease Risk Factors survey, developed by the World Health Organization. Results Tobacco was used by 145 (24.2%) students, 68 (46.9%) of them being males and 77 (53.1%) females (p<0.05). Males smoked 15.62 and females 13 cigarettes per day (p<0.05). On average, male participants were 16.56 years old, and female participants 16.71 when they started consuming cigarettes (p<0.05). A total of 289 (48.1%) students consumed alcohol, of whom 135 (70.2%) were males and 154 (37.7%) females (p<0.05). Conclusion There is evidence of high prevalence of smoking and alcohol usage as the risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Two levels of the prevention measures should be applied in order to reduce the prevalence of such risk factors: strategic level with a definition of the population, actors, activities, target population and anticipated results, and tactic level which will show contingency activities at the University.

Analysis of Food Toxin Trends in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Over Five Years Period.

INTRODUCTION: Alimentary toxoinfections represent a significant public health problem. Globalization of the market and food production, significant impoverishment of a large part of the population, and traditional approach with food preparation and consumption, cause a significant increase in the rates of population infections around the world. The epidemiological surveillance of the illness occurrence plays a significant role in monitoring and controlling the population's burden of diseases caused by unhygienically prepared and stored food. AIM: The aim of the article is to determine the rates and trends of food related diseases in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. RESULTS: The results of the analysis have shown that the rate of illness in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is declining but is still significantly higher than in developed western countries. Particularly great burden is on the population of the Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDC), which can be due to the traditional relation to the preparation and storage of food, as well as to the relatively poorer economic situation in ZDC. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the strengthening of the monitoring system, laboratory capacities, the availability of monitoring guides will enable responsible FBiH/Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions to better control and implement safer food practice.