Before the socio-political communities are posted, a very demanding task of defining the subject on whose name will behalf political power is implemented over a given state territory. However, the ...question about the subject of sovereignty should in no case be misunderstood as an issue of simply theoretical approach. The level of a state’s democracy, as well as its ability to realize internal and external sovereignty, depends entirely on fact: does the power belong to the People and whether it derives from the People. In other words, the issue of popular sovereignty is a substantial, constitutive element of modern democratic states. When we speak about contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina, the functionality of the entire state government is often hindered by the complex decision-making processes at all state levels which lead to obstruction of the entire decision-making process. Such a dysfunctional decision-making process on the state level poses a threat and disables the Bosnian plural society to respond to the modern challenges of a democratic functioning state. The legal nature of Bosnian society is determined by the existence of constituent people who have “usurped” the entire decision-making process. There is still no end in sight to the struggle that leads to an oligarchy of the ruling elites; furthermore, there is still no appropriate socio-political mechanism that will enhance the accountability of the representatives to their voters; it is still inconceivable that decisions of state authorities are effectively and consistently implemented throughout the national territory. In other words, there is still no appropriate mechanism that will enhance the principle of popular sovereignty. It is necessary to “offer” Bosnia and Herzegovina’s pluralism and its political tradition a form of democratic authority which in no way should be a cliché. Furthermore, it may not be one of the “copy-paste” models of democratic authority. Currently, citizens of B&H are completely suspended (de facto, there are only citizens of entities). In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbs are suspended, while in the Republika Srpska, Bosniacs and Croats cannot equally participate in the decision-making process. An unfinished process of implementation of the Dayton Agreement and, in particular, Annex 4 (the Constitution of B&H), whose provisions permit discrimination against the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the impossibility of the realization of the principle of equality in the exercise of universal suffrage), as well as the non-application of the Decision of the European Court of Human Rights contributes and is conducive to further segmentation of Bosnian society.
The present study aimed at analyzing the characteristics of FB injuries from Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), a rapidly growing newly industrialized country, and to compare them with cases from European ...countries.
The analysis is based on FB injury cases included in the Susy Safe registry. Cases from the Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Clinic, University Clinical Center of Tuzla (B&H) were compared with cases from European countries participating in the Susy Safe project. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was performed to elucidate differences within a large data set regarding mechanisms and objects causing injuries.
The results of the MCA showed that the first three dimensions explained 43% of the variability. The first dimension was identified by children hospitalized for FB ingestion, the second one by children hospitalized for FB aspiration (lower airways), and the third one by children with an FB in the ear or in the upper airways. The analysis of the median of coordinates of factors contributing to each dimension showed that the greatest difference between B&H and European countries regarded the third one. Looking at the profile of these patients, it might be suggested that the proportion of males and females and the type of activity in which they were involved at time of injury occurrence are different among the countries considered
This study proposes a simple tool for assessing differences among countries in the distribution of FB injuries. This case study shows that B&H has different patterns of FB injuries in the upper respiratory tract.
What explains the variety in victim-centric state policies of redress in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)? Rather than analyzing BiH as a special case of a divided ethno-national state, this ...article studies domestic victimhood politics as a phenomenon with wider comparative applications for post-conflict contexts. Redress, a set of policies that legally recognize victims/survivors of wartime atrocities and provide them with in-kind and financial support, has increasingly entered the demands of victims/survivors. Many have sought to expand their rights through new legal frameworks at the state and subnational levels. However, in the Bosnian case only some have succeeded (or partially succeeded) with their demands. Why? Using fieldwork data and relying on literature in transitional justice, identity and peacebuilding, I argue that the differences go beyond ethno-national divisions and identity politics and are explained by how victims/survivors utilize their victim capital that combines mobilization resources, moral authority and international salience.
Civic political parties in divided societies occupy an ambiguous place in the power-sharing literature. Scholarship tends to focus on ethnic parties and assumes civic actors to be marginal. The ...empirical reality tells a different story: civic parties have contributed to peace, stability and democracy in some of the world’s most deeply divided places by playing a mediating role, acting as a moderating force and representing otherwise marginalised groups. Drawing from interviews with representatives from civic parties, ethnic parties and civil society in Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and broader institutional analysis, I argue that civic parties’ survival can be explained by the fact that they meet therein not only with barriers but also critical openings. They adapt to this opportunity structure, with different party types developing under different forms of power-sharing. In illustrating the relationship between governance models and civic parties, this article underlines the importance of post-settlement institutional design.
A morphologically distinguished and isolated cavernicolous trechine beetle belonging to the isotopic Duvalius lineage was discovered in Dinarids, Western Bosnia, in hypogean environment, in the cave ...Mračna Pećina. Duvalius (Neoduvalius) lohaji n. sp., is described, illustrated and compared with the other Duvalius species of the Dinaric range, especially with Neoduvalius taxa. In addition, taxonomical considerations about Duvalius-related genera that exhibit aphaenopsian morphology are given.
PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is not a foodborne infectious disease, but it has dramatically impacted food safety practices worldwide due to its potential for transmission through contaminated ...surfaces and food. Accordingly, the Omicron variant seems to have affected food-related activities and behaviours and disturbed food supply networks since its appearance in November 2021. Hence, this paper aims to assess how the Omicron variant impacted food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices amongst adult consumers in five countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Russia.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on an online survey. The questionnaire was developed and revised based on previous research on the impact of previous COVID-19 waves on food-related activities in several countries. The questionnaire was distributed through the SurveyMonkey platform from January 15 to February 25, 2022. It consisted of 29 multiple-choice and one-option questions organised into three sections. A total of 6,483 valid responses were received. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyse the survey results.FindingsAccording to the survey findings, food safety practices evolved during the Omicron wave in the studied countries. Firstly, less than half of the sample used a face mask whilst purchasing food. Secondly, regarding food safety knowledge, the survey results suggest that there is still a lack of knowledge in the studied countries. Thirdly, the survey indicates a lack of knowledge amongst the respondents regarding food safety attitudes. For instance, more than a third of the sample (34.4%) are unsure whether the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted through food. These results are surprising and alarming, especially considering that our sample has a higher education than the population of the studied countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this research is the sample bias. Survey participants were randomly chosen, enrolled voluntarily and not rewarded. As a result, the questionnaire was self-administered and completed exclusively by people motivated by an interest in the topic. Consequently, our survey does not represent the general population of the studied countries. People with a high degree of education and women, for example, were overrepresented in our sample.Originality/valueThis study is unique in that it is the first to gather information and analyse people’s perceptions of the effects of the Omicron variant on food safety. As a result, the findings of this survey offer a solid basis for future investigations into the impact of the pandemic on food safety in the Balkan region and Russia. This study can help further understand the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides crucial insights that can be used to guide future decision-making and policy development regarding improving food safety practices. This and other future studies will be a foundation for organisational and government readiness for future shocks, crises and pandemics. The effects of the present Ukrainian conflict on agricultural systems and supply chains throughout the globe (e.g. increased food prices) show that this is timely, urgent and highly required.
Electoral geography tends to focus on the impact of geographical context on electoral behavior recently and challenges the classical compositional approach. We analyze spatial contextual factors of ...the 2018 general elections of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the linear regression models based on the fault line theory result in wrong estimations in several municipalities, not fitting into the national pattern. Using spatial modelling, it is confirmed that the strong territorial base of Bosnian parties is shaped by spatial dependence and spatial spillover effects. In addition to the spillover effect of individual party performance, the indirect neighbourhood role of ethnicity, sectoral structure and education was also shown in some cases.
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and neurodevelopmental disabilities in developed countries. Although high cCMV rates have been ...reported in populations with high seroprevalence, the cCMV prevalence in low/middle-income countries in Europe has not been defined.
To determine cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence and the cCMV prevalence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Between March 2010 and February 2019, 5222 sera samples from patients seen at the University Clinical Hospital Mostar were tested for CMV IgG. The cord blood samples collected from 2091 infants between July 2011 and January 2013 were analyzed for CMV IgG and CMV DNA. The cCMV prevalence was determined by testing saliva swabs from 1293 infants between November 2015 and October 2016.
The overall CMV IgG prevalence was 81.4% (95% confidence interval: 0.8-0.82). Significantly higher prevalence was observed among females (84.9%) than in males (77.0%), and the rate increased from 50.8% in the 1 to 5 years group to 97.7% in the group > 65 years old. Most cord blood samples (2091/1925, 92.1%) were CMV IgG positive, and 2 (0.1%) were CMV DNA positive. Of the 1293 saliva swabs, 8 (0.62%; 95% confidence interval: 0.3-1.2) were CMV positive. All 8 infected infants had asymptomatic cCMV, and none had SNHL at 18 months of age.
In a highly CMV seropositive population, the prevalence of cCMV was lower compared with that reported from other low/middle-income countries populations. None of the infected infants had symptomatic infection or SNHL at 18 months.
This manuscript addresses behavior change intentions and consumer risk perceptions in the context of uncertainty and crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the theory of planned behavior and ...health behavior theories, a conceptual framework is developed that focuses on the role of attitudes toward the Covid-19 pandemic, their determinants in the context of the public campaign conducted, and the resulting behavior change intentions. The empirical study, based on an actual campaign and a representative nationwide sample in a developing country, is conducted to test the developed hypotheses. The results suggest that information search is relevant to predicting attitudes and intention to change behavior. At the same time, exposure to the campaign is directly relevant to motivating the target audience to change their behavior. There is also a gap between attitude and behavior, but it is bridged by perceived risk, which plays a vital moderating role when rated high or low. Finally, in the presence of this moderating effect, an indirect effect of information search on behavior change intention is confirmed by attitudes toward the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for research in health behavior and crisis management.
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