Bosnian Population Research Articles

FREQUENCY OF ADH1B RSAI (RS2066701) SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM IN A POPULATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Apart from its physiological role in the cellular oxidation of ethanol an interesting feature of ADH1B gene is its characteristic geographical distribution where certain variants of ADH1B peak in different parts of the world. Therefore, ADH1B rs2066701 polymorphism is used as a genetic marker in tracing the evolutionary processes and human migrations over time. Taking into consideration the complexity of population genetic structure and a number of migration events in the history of the Balkan populations this study aimed to estimate the frequency of ADH1B rs2066701 polymorphism in the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total of 101 randomly sampled individuals were genotyped for rs2066701 polymorphism in ADH1B gene using PCR-RFLP method. The obtained frequencies were used to calculate heterozygosity, fixation indices and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The observed population-structure parameters were compared with other population values available in ALFRED database. Dimensional relations between the investigated populations were visualised with the NM-MDS (non metric multidimensional scaling) analysis using PAST. The minor allele frequency for rs2066701 was 0,257. Inter-population analysis including other European and non-European populations from ALFRED database proved the above-mentioned European genetic background of the B&H population.

Disintegration of the former SFR Yugoslavia and changes in the ethno-confessional structure of some cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disintegration of Yugoslav state union, which was carried out marked by ethnic conflicts and creation of new political and geographical subjectivities, resulted in major changes in ethnical and ethno-confessional structure of most of the urban settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and especially those which until 1992 had a heterogeneous structure according to listed features. In this context, the biggest changes were recorded in three urban settlements: Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar. Today, these settlements have a role of poles of development and affirmation of individual ethno-national ethno-confessional interests. Sarajevo - of Bosniaks and Islam, Banja Luka - of Serbs and Orthodoxy and Mostar - of Croats and Catholicism. Changes in ethnical and ethno-confessional structure of population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period from 1992 to 1995, strongly contributed to the territorial organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina into two entities, the Republic of Srpska with Serbian majority and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina within which the cantons are formed either with the Croatian or Bosniak majority. This division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to ethnical or ethno-confessional principle, is again a source of different, and usually conflicting, geopolitical relations and aspirations between mentioned constituents.

Risk factors for HIV among an MSM population in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Risk factors for HIV among an MSM population in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Youth Culture Features in the Light of Preferred Role Models and Life Styles

Abstract The aim of this research was to determine to what extent different variables describe the style and way of life present within the student population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this sense, in addition to general data on examinees, gender differences were identified, the assessment of parental dimensions of control and emotion, overall family circumstances, level of empathy, intercultural sensitivity, role models, preferences of lifestyles, everyday habits and resistance and (or) tendencies to depressive, anxiety states and stress. The survey included a sample of 457 examinees, students of undergraduate studies at the University of Zenica and the University of Sarajevo, with a total of 9 faculties and 10 departments covering technical, natural, social sciences and humanities. The obtained data give a broad picture of the everyday life of youth and confirm some previously theoretically and empirically justified theses about the connection of the family background of students, everyday habits, with the level of empathy, intercultural sensitivity and preferences of the role models and lifestyles of the examinees.

Youth Culture Features in the Light of Preferred Role Models and Life Styles

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The Genetic Variation of CYP2D6 Gene in the Bosnian Population.

Introduction:Genetic polymorphism is associated with individual responses to medication and susceptibility to diseases, and it represents the basis for individualized medical treatment and drug genomics studies. Genetic variation at CYP2D6 is high, both among populations and among individuals in the same population. Aim:The aim of the study was to investigate the CYP2D6 gene duplication and the non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) 100C>T in the CYP2D6 gene in members of the Bosnian population. Material and Methods:The blood samples were collected from 151 unrelated and healthy donors from Bosnian populations consisted of 94 females and 57 males. Duplex long-range PCR was used to determine whether individuals carrying CYP2D6 gene duplication. The resulting PCR product of 5.1 kb, containing all nine CYP2D6 exons, was used as template for detection of the CYP2D6 100C>T allele by nested PCR. Results:The CYP2D6 gene duplication frequency found in the Bosnian population (2.73%) was related to the frequencies of this allele in other Caucasians. The gene duplication is the result of inheritance of more than two copies of the fully functional CYP2D6 alleles. In contrast, the frequency of the CYP2D6 100C>T variant, with possibly damaging function, in the Bosnian population (15.56%) was significantly higher when compared with the other Caucasians but significantly lower when compared with Asians. Conclusion:CYP2D6 metabolizes many commonly prescribed drugs. Variations in the gene encoding this enzyme have been associated with individual differences in drug metabolism rates. The individuals with multiple CYP2D6 gene copies metabolize drugs more rapidly and therapeutic plasma levels will not be achieved at ordinary drug dosages. The non-synonymous coding SNP (100C>T) were predicted to have damaging effects on the protein function.

ПРИОРИТЕТЫ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ “НОВЫХ” СТРАН – ЧЛЕНОВ ЕС

Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia have entered the European Union on its latest enlargement waves, and also share several specific features such as a relatively short period of existence as independent nation-states, the Communist past and short experience of democratic development. These commonalities unite them under the name “new EU member states”. The article analyzes their key national priorities in the security field. The authors come to a conclusion that for Bulgaria and Romania, main security concerns are connected to domestic issues such as fundamental economic problems, poverty of the population, high corruption level, and demographic problems. In Croatia, in its turn, both the government and population share an understanding that main security threats come from outside of the country, namely from the neighboring Western Balkan republics, where the process of nation-state building has not been completed and a fragile stabilization through the process of Euro-Atlantic integration can be interrupted by the outburst of violence which can involve Croatia. One of the main concerns for Croatia is the situation of Croatian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the National Security strategies, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia have delegated their security guarantees to external actors, namely to NATO and the EU, after they had become full members of both organizations. They demonstrate solidarity with the approach of these organizations to transnational threats such as illegal migration, international terrorism, WMD proliferation and organized crime. The Ukrainian crisis has raised concerns in Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia about possible hostile Russian behavior and intensified their relations with the U.S. – a traditional partner for all three states in the security field. The authors describe the role of the United States in military planning and modernization of defence capabilities of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia and come to a conclusion that this special bond as well as shared Atlantism make the three countries strong supporters of the idea that the development of the European autonomous defence potential should by no means duplicate or question the role of NATO.&nbsp

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INSERTION/DELETION POLYMORPHISM OF THE ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME GENE AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN BOSNIAN POPULATION

One of the genes considered as a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) is the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene. Many studies have been published regarding the relation between the ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and CAD. However, studies have provided controversial results. To explore this further in the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we compared the ACE I/D genotypes and alleles distribution between two groups: 100 CAD patients and 100 healthy control subjects. The higher distribution of DD genotype (47.0%) and D allele (65.5%) were found in CAD patients compared to controls (DD 34.0%; D allele 51.0%). Genotype odds ratio, (DD + ID) on the II, was 2.471 (1.252 – 4.876; 95% CI; p < 0.05). This leads to the conclusion that the DD genotype of the ACE I/D polymorphism affects the risk for development of coronary artery disease in Bosnian population.

THE RISK ASSESMENT AND IMPACT OF HYGIENIC CONDITIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGIONELLA SPP. IN WATER SYSTEMS OF PUBLIC AND TOURIST FACILITIES

A large number of different diseases are associated with the consumption of hygienic defective water and the use of water for maintaining personal hygiene. Recreational waters, water in systems intended for cooling and heating of public buildings are also significant. Among these diseases, the most significant is legionellosis, the disease which has become more and more important in the whole world in recent years. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the connection of hygienic conditions in public buildings with the appearance of genus Legionella in drinking and bathing water, as well as water from outside and inside fountains, pools and water from cooling and heating systems for public buildings. Obtained results are also used to evaluate the risk of developing legionellosis in the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina and among foreign tourists. The presence of Legionella spp. was analysed in 238 samples of water taken from faucets in rooms of buildings intended for people's accommodation, in open and closed fountains, pools, cooling and water systems. Hygienic conditions in the facilities were assessed using survey questionnaire and complemented with legionella findings. This study showed the direct correlation between hygienic conditions in public and tourist facilities with the presence of Legionella spp. in the waters taken in these objects.

The role of affective factors on brand resonance: Measuring customer‐based brand equity for the Sarajevo brand

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of affective factors on brand resonance in the context of a destination brand. Keller's brand resonance model (Keller, 2013) was used to identify the role of affective factors in the brand equity chain. The research was conducted on the 'Sarajevo' brand, with an expectation that affective factors would be more influential on brand resonance than cognitive factors. Sarajevo is remembered as the center of the war that resulted in the collapse of the Republic of Yugoslavia in 1990s and emotions towards the suffering of civilians under siege are still dominant. The research hypothesis was tested with data from 286 Turkish visitors. A Turkish sample was chosen to test the hypothesis due to the fact that Turkish and Bosnian populations have strong historical ties with each other and Sarajevo represents an emotionally strong destination for Turkish population. Results from multiple regression analysis indicate that the central hypothesis is valid and tourist resonance perceptions on Sarajevo brand are stronger on the affective route than cognitive route. Model constructs were also analyzed descriptively with data from a second sample of visitors from more than 45 countries (N = 193), where it was found that city's affective image was evaluated more strongly than its cognitive image. These findings together are used to propose strategies for Sarajevo marketers, out of which using the emotional aspects of the city in destination marketing seems to be the most influential.

Bosnian study of APOE distribution (BOSAD): a comparison with other European populations

Background: The ε2, ε3 and ε4 alleles of APOE gene have been associated with several diseases in different populations. Data on the frequency of alleles are used in both a clinical and evolutionary context. Although the data on frequency of these alleles are numerous, there are no reports for the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Aim: To estimate the frequency of APOE alleles in a healthy Bosnian population and compare it to data for other European populations.Subjects and Methods: Overall, 170 unrelated Bosnian subjects (108 female and 62 male), aged 53.0 (±5.0) years were included in this study. Genotypes were determined by real-time PCR.Results: In our group the prevalence of heterozygotes E2/E3, E2/E4 and E3/E4 was 20.6%, 3.5% and 12.9%, respectively, while the prevalence of homozygotes E2/E2, E3/E3, E4/E4 was 0.6%, 61.2% and 1.2%, respectively, with a mean frequency of ε2, ε3 and ε4 alleles of 12.6%, 78.0% and 9.4%, respectively.Conclusions: In studied European populations we observed a linear, gradually increasing trend in the frequency of ε4 allele from South to North (Pearson’s test 0,7656, p value <0.00001), and the Bosnian population fits into this pattern perfectly.

Quantitative Assessment of Vulnerability to Climate Change in Rural Municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The rural population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH), which constitutes more than half of the total population, experienced serious incidences of extreme weather events in the past two decades. This part of the population is vulnerable to climate change due to significant dependence on agriculture as a climate-sensitive livelihood option. However, the source of their vulnerability is due not only to the extent and magnitude of these extreme climate events, but also to the internal status within the vulnerable systems before the occurrence of such events. In order to explore the different dimensions of vulnerability, we used a set of 20 indicators to quantitatively assess the vulnerability of the rural population to climate change at the local level in BH. Two summarizing and two weighting methods were applied to assess vulnerability—Equal weights (EW) and principal component analysis (PCA). Based on the results obtained, we concluded that the current socio-economic conditions and the increased environmental pressure as a result of the present human-environment interactions are the main determinants of vulnerability in most vulnerable municipalities, rather than the degree to which these municipalities are exposed to significant climatic variations. Most vulnerable municipalities are located across the north, with a gradual decrease in vulnerability towards the central, north, and east of the country. Vulnerability increases again from here towards the south of the country. The number of municipalities classified as the highest and highly vulnerable increased when the second summarizing method and weighted indicators were used. However, the general geographic distribution of vulnerability did not change substantially compared to the first method. The approaches used in this study provide some valuable results at the local level, and are presented in a way that is practical for decision-making processes and may serve as a base for further research when designing effective adaptation and mitigation strategies, especially in the regions with similar climatic and socio-economic conditions.

Prevalence of F5 1691G>A, F2 20210G>A, and MTHFR 677C>T polymorphisms in Bosnian women with pregnancy loss.

The relationship between genetic risk factors of thrombophilia and pregnancy loss (PL) is being discussed. The focus has been on F5 1691G>A, F2 20210G>A, and MTHFR 677C>T polymorphisms that may predispose women to microthrombosis during the stages of embryo implantation and placentation. Although, the frequencies of these polymorphisms were reported in different populations, such studies have not yet been performed in Bosnian population. In this study, we determined the prevalence of F5 G>A (rs6025), F2 G>A (rs1799963) and MTHFR C>T (rs1801133) polymorphisms in Bosnian women. A total of 154 women with PL, mean age 33 (±5.4) years, were enrolled in the study. As a control group, 154 mothers [mean age 31.4 (±6.7) years] with at least one live-born child were included. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the frequencies of F5 G>A and F2 G>A genotypes, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for analyzing MTHFR C>T genotypes. The frequency of heterozygotes for F5 and F2 was significantly higher in women with venous thrombosis (VT) compared to women without VT (p = 0.047 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the distribution of MTHFR genotypes and alleles between these two groups. In addition, we observed no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between the group with PL and control group, for all investigated polymorphisms. The allele frequencies for 1691A (F5), 20210A (F2), and 677T (MTHFR) reported in this study are consistent with the data obtained for other European countries, however, we were not able to confirm the association between the three polymorphisms and PL in Bosnian women.

Influence of Unemployment on Mental Health of the Working Age Population.

Introduction:Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the Balkan region (43.2%), so unemployment is one of the most serious public concerns in our country.Aim:To analyze the influence of unemployment on mental health of the working age population who attend primary care center.Material and Methods:The study was carried out in the municipality of Bosanska Krupa, which has the highest unemployment rate in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (56%), and included 510 randomly selected working age patients (aged 23-65 years). We used the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) to evaluate mental health of the working age population.Results:There were significantly more women than men (53.5% vs. 46.5%; p=0.02). The mean age of participants was 51.04±12.84 years. The experimental group included 318 (62.35%) unemployed working age participants: 160 (50.3%) had been unemployed for more than 5 years and had had no work experience, while 158 (49.7%) unemployed participants had had a previous work experience of more than five years. The control group included 192 (37.65%) employed working age participants. Unemployment had a significant influence on mental health of the working age population. The unemployed participants had a significantly poorer mental health compared to the employed (p=0.0003). A predictor of impaired mental health was a job loss. A significantly greater mental health impairment occured in the group of unemployed participants with previous work experience of more than five years compared to the unemployed participants who had had no work experience (p=0.001) and employed (p=0.000).Conclusion:Unemployment has a negative impact and leads to impaired mental health of the working age population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A job loss has a predictive role. It indicates that social and health policies must be developed in order to improve well-being of the working age population.

The Role and Characteristics of Collections of Folk Recepies in the Folk and Traditional Medicine of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Introduction:Folk medicine represents part of the folk culture, when we first think about the rural culture with characteristic of the rural population in the pre-industrial period. The difference between official and folk medicine is manifested in the education, knowledge and social status of those practicing folk medicine as well as their patients. The most common ways of treating were the treatment by use of herbs, magic and treatments based on religious beliefs. So, it is of no surprise that folk medicine was the main form of treatment for the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) in the past. In addition to many herbalists, quacks and religious officials who treated the patients with records, there were also spells, i.e. women who, by pronouncing various magic formulas, treated the patients. Each village had at least one person who practiced this type of treatment.Discussion:Numerous, original documents and records have been stored in the archives of the monastery throughout B&H, including very valuable literature in the field of medicine and pharmacy, which testifies of the very important role of Franciscans in the treatment of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most extensive health service of the Franciscans since their arrival in Bosnia in 1291 was the decadent era of Turkish rule, mostly from the 17th century until the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1978. In the sources of national thought, and on the basis of professional medical books, the Franciscans created recipes for the treatment of certain diseases, which they then collected in so-called „Ljekaruse” (Collections of folk recipes), and over time there was a lot of them. Most of the ljekarusa are hand-printed booklets, for some it is known the time and place of creation, and less often the author of the text. Ljekarusa is a very important source of information about our medical past. Some of them were processed and recorded, while a significant part of these manuscripts remained unknown to the general public. They included recipes for various diseases and the names they were called by the people. Professional terms were not used, nor were the illnesses and the recipes ordered in any order or systematic manner. We learn from them that our people were once treated in the absence of doctors and pharmacists. Most commonly mentioned are various herbs, animal parts, mineral substances, and some of these recipes can be even applied today. All medicines continue to be transcribed by the people and valued as good old medical receipts.Conclusion:This review article presents a book (ljekaruse) that was archived in several famous monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

An Assessment of Islamic Banking in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a comparative analysis using the CAMELS approach

This paper examines the phenomenon of Islamic banking in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although almost half of the Bosnian population is recognized as Islamic, there is only one bank purely based on Sharia operating in this country. The aim of the article is to conduct a comparative analysis of the financial standing of this bank and the banking sector in this country and region. The chosen method of analysis is CAMELS, which examines an institution by taking into consideration its most crucial elements: capital, assets, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to risk.

Measuring Ethnic Preferences in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Mobile Advertising.

We present a field experiment that uses geo-referenced smartphone advertisements to measure ethnic preferences at a highly disaggregated level. Different types of banners advertising a vote matching tool are randomly displayed to mobile Internet users in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while recording their spatial coordinates. Differences in the response (click) rate to different ethnic cues on these banners are used to measure temporal and spatial variation in ethnic preferences among the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our study lays out the theoretical and practical underpinnings of this technology and discusses its potential for future applications, but also highlights limitations of this approach.

Molecular diversity of 23 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat loci in the population of Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background: Tuzla Canton is the most populated region in the ethnically mixed territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose genetic analysis could provide an insight into past demographic events.Aim: Analysis of 23 Y-chromosome STR markers in the population of Tuzla Canton and investigation of the genetic relationship of the male population of the Tuzla Canton and that of the larger Bosnian and Herzegovinian population as well as neighbouring and other European populations.Subjects and methods: The study was conducted among 100 unrelated healthy adult males from Tuzla Canton that have been genotyped using 23 Y-STR loci included in the PowerPlex Y23 kit. Statistical parameters such as haplotype diversity and allele frequencies were calculated, as well as the Rst-based genetic distances between the new dataset and those from Bosnia and Herzegovina and elsewhere, which were then visualised through multi-dimensional scaling plot and neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree analyses.Results: The PowerPlex Y23 kit has shown high discrimination capacity, as all 100 individuals have unique haplotypes. The newly incorporated loci seem to be highly informative. Population comparison reveals no statistically significant differences between the study population and the general Bosnian-Herzegovinian population, and between the study population and neighbouring populations.Conclusion: These results could be used as an additional investigation of the genetic relationship between the regional populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighbouring human populations, as well as for further human population and forensic genetics studies.

The lipid fractions as risk factors for atherosclerosis in different age groups in Bosnian population

The lipid fractions as risk factors for atherosclerosis in different age groups in Bosnian population

Change in the status of internally displaced Bosniaks of the Srebrenica municipality in the Tuzla canton during the period 2005-2015

The war during the period 1992-1995 has caused massive forced migrations of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in this period about 1.2 million people fled beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina while about 1 million were displaced inside the country. After the Dayton Peace Agreement, there started the process of return of refugees and displaced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, even after more than 20 years since the signing of the Agreement a significant number of refugees and displaced persons has not returned to their pre-war places of residence. This paper explores the number and the change in the status of the internally displaced Bosniaks of Srebrenica Municipality in the period 2005-2015, those who were residing in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Federal Ministry of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Tuzla Canton, in 2005, the status of internally displaced persons had 2016 households with a total of 5549 members, and by 2015 this status has kept 1099 households with a total of 2867 members. The aim of this paper is to point out to some more significant factors that led to a reduction in the number of Bosniaks from the area of Srebrenica municipality who had the status of internally displaced persons in Tuzla Canton.