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Background: At a global level, over 300 million people are estimated to suffer from depression, equivalent to 4.4% of the world’s population. The presence of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) has major consequences for individuals with diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of DAS among adult patients with T2DM in primary health care (PHC) settings in Kosovo and to determine any association between DAS, sociodemographic characteristics, and other risk factors. Methods and Results: This cross-sectional study was conducted in seven Main Family Medicine Centers in Kosovo (Prishtina, Mitrovica, Peja, Prizren, Ferizaj, Gjilan, and Gjakova) from November 2022 to February 2023. The study included 596 adult patients above 18 years of age who were diagnosed with T2DM at least one year ago. By gender, more respondents were female ((F 55.4% vs. M 44.6%); adults aged 30-59 accounted for 38.4%, aged 60+ ‒ 57.7%. Anxiety was the most common type of psychological distress among the subjects (82.0%), depression was second with a prevalence of 74% and stress third with a prevalence of 43.0%. Females were predominant among respondents regarding the three forms of mental health problems: Depression (F 75.8% vs. M 71.8%), Anxiety (F 86.1% vs. M 77.1%), and Stress (F 48.5% vs. M 36.1%) Subjects with only primary education were more likely to be depressed (79.6%, P=0.0072; OR=1.689, 95% CI: 1.153 ‒ 2.477). HbA1C >6.5% was found to be strongly associated with depression (76.4%, P=0.002; OR=2.071, 95% CI: 1.305 ‒ 3.284). Female gender and the presence of comorbidities were found to be significantly associated with anxiety. Female gender, level of education, history of DM in the family, presence of comorbidities, and HbA1c >6.5% were significantly associated with stress. Conclusion: Our study showed that the prevalence of DAS is high in patients with T2DM. Periodic screening of patients with diabetes in PHC settings for early signs of psychological distress using easy and inexpensive validated screening tools like the DASS-21 questionnaire is recommended.

Introduction: Nurses play a crucial role in providing healthcare services in prisons and psychiatric hospitals in Kosovo. In Kosovo, there are ten prison facilities with a capacity of 2500 inmates. At those facilities there are ten Prison Health Units with six Medical Clinics and three medical stationeries. At every PHU, basic healthcare services are offered round-the-clock. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of nurses in providing healthcare services in prisons and psychiatric hospitals in Kosovo. The study aims to assess the workload and responsibilities of nurses and the quality of healthcare services they provide. Additionally, the study analyzes the management of health services in these institutions. Methods: This study is based on statistical data from the Prison Health Service in Kosovo from 2013 to 2022. The study calculated statistical coefficients related to the number of nurses and healthcare staff per 1,000 prisoners. Results: The study found that there were 10.09 nurses per 1,000 inmates in the 10 prison facilities in Kosovo, and the total number of medical staff per 1,000 inmates was 15.49. The ratio of physicians per 1,000 inmates was 3.05, indicating a relatively low number of physicians compared to nurses. The study also found a higher ratio of nursing staff to inmates, indicating more individualized attention and care. Conclusions: The study concludes that nurses play a vital role in providing healthcare services in prisons and psychiatric hospitals in Kosovo. The study recommends hiring more physicians to improve the quality of healthcare services in prisons.

Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (APXA) is a rare and aggressive brain tumor that requires a multidisciplinary approach for proper diagnosis and treatment. This case report presents the case of a 15-year-old male patient diagnosed with APXA in the left temporal region. The patient underwent a combination of imaging studies, including MRI, followed by a biopsy of the tumor tissue and surgery. The patient was then closely monitored for recurrence and progression of the tumor, and further received six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This report aims to provide detailed information about the diagnostic process for APXA, which can be challenging due to its similarity to other tumors, such as pilocytic astrocytoma. Additionally, the report highlights the varying treatment options and outcomes for patients with APXA, as well as the importance of close monitoring for the recurrence and progression of the tumor. More research is needed to fully understand the best treatment options for APXA and to improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with this rare and aggressive brain tumor.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in drug use among inmates in prisons worldwide, including Kosovo, due to restrictions on visitation and addiction recovery programs. Objectives: This study analyzed drug use among 33,144 inmates in Kosovo prisons over nine years and aimed to identify potential solutions, foster collaboration between relevant institutions, and develop better programs and treatments. Methods and Results: The study is based on data from the medical files of inmates examined over nine years (2014-2022) in 10 Kosovo prison health units. From the total number of inmates, 8.22% were identified as drug users, and the percentage of drug use among inmates steadily increased from 5.8% in 2014 to 15.48% in 2019. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there was a decrease of 1.16% (from 15.48% to 14.28%), which was the first decrease in six years. The study also found a disproportional decrease in the number of inmates admitted during the same period. The Medico Psycho Therapeutic Center “Labyrinth” showed a similar trend. Suicide attempts, death under custody, and tobacco use increased linearly, with alcohol use remaining stable. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for effective prevention, treatment, and management strategies for drug use among inmates and the general population in Kosovo. Continuous collaboration between relevant institutions and stakeholders is essential to improve the health and well-being of those affected by drug use and create a brighter future for Kosovo.

Background: Some years ago, chronic diseases were considered to be a problem for the wealthy and elderly population. Today, chronic conditions affect the poor, young, and middle-aged people in high-income countries. The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been continuously growing for over half a century and has reached pandemic proportions. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the trends in prediabetes and DM prevalence and to determine related risk factors among Kosovo people from 2011 to 2019. Methods and Results: A population-based survey was conducted among people aged 18-69 from April 2018 to June 2019 and those aged 15-64 using the WHO STEPs instrument. Detailed findings on the magnitude of DM and impaired fasting blood glucose (FBG) are presented in this paper. Prevalence of prediabetes in 2011 at 15-64 years was 6.0% (95% CI, 4.6% - 7.9%), and in 2019 at 18-69 years was 6.1% (95% CI, 5.3% - 7.1%), not a significant difference (P>0.05). To avoid bias from different ages, we compared prevalence by age groups. Only in the age group of 35-44 we found a significant difference in the prevalence of prediabetes. In this age group, the prevalence of prediabetes was 2.4% (95% CI, 0.9%-6.1%) in 2011 and 2.7% (95%CI, 0.9%-6.1%) in 2019. In 2019, the prevalence of prediabetes was higher among males than in 2011, when females prevailed. Prevalence of DM in 2011 at 15-64 years was 7.7% (95% CI, 6.0% - 9.7%), and in 2019 at 18 – 69 years was 7.9% (95% CI, 6.9% - 9.0%), not a significant difference (P>0.05). In the age groups of 45-54 and 55-64, we found a significant difference in the prevalence of DM by years. The prevalence of DM at 45-54 years was 13.5% (95% CI, 9.2% - 19.5%) in 2011 and 7.8% (95%CI, 6.0%-10.2%) in 2019 (P=0.032). The prevalence of DM at 55-54 years was 21.6% (95% CI, 15.8% - 28.9%) in 2011 and 13.2% (95%CI, 10.6%-16.3%) in 2019 (P=0.015). The prevalence of DM was higher among females in 2011 and 2019. Conclusion: Results from 2 STEPS in Kosovo show that we have no significant increase in the prevalence of prediabetes and DM in total. At the same time, we found a significant decrease in DM in the age group 45-64.

Primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCA) of the testis is extremely rare, only 10 cases having been reported to date. Metastases of mucinous adenocarcinomas that have originated in different sites can mimic primary MAC and must be included in the differential diagnosis. We report a case of primary MCA of the tunica vaginalis testis in a 28-year-old patient who presented with a painless mass on the left side of the scrotum. We present the clinical and pathological characteristics to contribute to the further understanding of these rare tumors.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of course organization, faculty-student interaction, and student involvement in course outcomes at university level. A correlational research design, a structured questionnaire, and a random cluster sample of the students (N=371) were used in the study. The study showed a significant difference somewhere among the mean scores of the course outcomes for the four groups of course organization. It also found a significant difference somewhere among the mean scores of the course outcomes for the five groups of faculty-student interaction, as well as a significant difference somewhere among the mean scores of the course outcomes for the five groups of student involvement. At the same time, the study showed that 32.6% of the variance in course outcomes is explained by course organization, 16.6% of the variance is explained by faculty-student interaction, and 28.4% of the variance is explained by student involvement. The findings of this study enhanced Astin' s theory of student development, as course organization, faculty-student interaction, and student involvement are important variables that predict course outcomes.

This research comes as a scientific work of research about the motives of sexting and its emotional experiences. Sexting recently is a widespread phenomenon with many different definitions depending on the context (Klettke et al, 2013). Several research questions were raised, such as the relationship between involvement in sexting and emotional experiences; motives for engaging in sexting; the most used programs in sexting; the differences between rural and urban areas as well as between genders in sexting. The sample is comprised of 78 teenagers aged 15-18 years (39 subjects from the city of Tirana and 39 from city of Fieri). Snowball sampling was applied. A mixed method was carried out to collect the data, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods: Sexting Motives Questionnaire, of Bianchi D, et al, 2016, α= 0.786, which enabled highlighting the involvement in sexting as well as the basic motives, and a qualitative method, two focus groups (of 26 adolescents). The findings of this study showed that engaging in sexting was associated with different emotional experiences depending on the user. Also, in terms of motives, the results showed that several motives lead teenagers to engage in sexting.

This study analyzes specific problems between Kosovo and Serbia, the integrated border management (IBM) of states, the free movement of citizens of both countries, and political process outcomes since 2011. Although IBM and the free movement of citizens and goods are fundamental values of the EU, these have been problems in the context of Kosovo and Serbia since the year in question. Agreements concluded on the integrated management of the Kosovo–Serbia border have faced implementation problems and necessitated rearranged agreements. The problems mentioned have arisen due to the protracted dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia and the problems resulting from efforts of both parties to protect their sovereignty and follow EU agenda. IBM and the free movement of citizens between Kosovo and Serbia have been problematic for many years and have hindered the free movement of citizens of both countries. Given the fundamental problems underlying the relations between Kosovo and Serbia with respect to IBM, and considering that Kosovo and Serbia both aim to be integrated within the EU, the EU itself is the last hope for overcoming this problem. Hoping to move forward toward integration, in August 2022, Kosovo and Serbia agreed to enable the free movement of citizens at the border points. This study sheds light on recent developments and analyzes the potential political outcomes of this decision.

Spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease) is a frequent manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. It manifests as destruction of 2 or more adjacent vertebral bodies followed with destruction of the intervertebral disc, leading to a condition known as spondylodiscitis. Tuberculous spondylodiscitis represents with back pain, fever, joint stiffness, loss of spinal mobility, neurological symptoms, vertebral body collapse, gibbus formation and kyphosis. Persistent Pott's disease might lead to soft tissues abscesses, frequently involving iliopsoas muscle.We, herein, present a 20 years long follow-up case of a Pott's disease patient. The patient got diagnosed as tuberculous spondylodiscitis, almost 10 years after first symptoms onset. She underwent frequent computed tomography and magnetic resonance scanning, with spinal spondylodiscitis being its only significant finding, while lung parenchyma and other organs were not infected. Patient got treated with multidrug anti-tubercular regimen for 18 months in 2 different periods of time; nonetheless she complicated with iliopsoas muscle abscess and percutaneous fistula.Early diagnosis and treatment of spinal tuberculosis (TB) are of great importance in ensuring a good clinical outcome. Delaying the diagnosis and proper management can lead to spinal cord compression, deformity and irreversible neurological complications. Thus, multidrug anti-tubercular therapy must be started timely and the duration of anti-tubercular therapy needs to be individualized. The decision to terminate anti-tubercular therapy should be based on clinical, radiological, pathological and microbiological indices, rather than being based on specific guidelines.

We report the case of a 55-year-old male patient with concomitant pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma and reactivated tuberculosis, documented with multiple MSCT (multi-slice computed tomography) changes. The patient initially presented with productive cough, sluggishness, fatigue, voice hoarseness and tuberculosis changes in MSCT. Later, he was diagnosed with pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma, which was confirmed by sputum cytology and transthoracic biopsy. Therefore, clinicians should always evaluate the likelihood of simultaneous lung cancer in patients whose MSCT images suggest TB alterations in the lungs, and swiftly decide on the correct treatment and management approach.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the employees’ perception of justice at the workplace, in relation to the organizational commitment. The study was carried out in Kosovo and its findings contribute to the service industry, being the most developed in that region. This especially applies to the banking sector, which is still in a transitional phase in Kosovo, with the potential benefit, in terms of better qualification of the staff. The data is collected from a sample of 256 participants, mainly from the banking sector (N=148), but also other sectors, such as the public sector (N=28), private business (N=34), NGOs (N=26) and others (N=20). This study hypothesizes that the perceived organizational justice has a positive effect on organizational commitment, with the empirical results supporting the hypothesis.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the employees' perception of justice at the workplace, in relation to the organizational commitment. The study was carried out in Kosovo and its findings contribute to the service industry, being the most developed in that region. This especially applies to the banking sector, which is still in a transitional phase in Kosovo, with the potential benefit, in terms of better qualification of the staff. The data is collected from a sample of 256 participants, mainly from the banking sector (N=148), but also other sectors, such as the public sector (N=28), private business (N=34), NGOs (N=26) and others (N=20). This study hypothesizes that the perceived organizational justice has a positive effect on organizational commitment, with the empirical results supporting the hypothesis. Keywords: perceived justice, organizational commitment, workplace, employees., 1. INTRODUCTION The performance of a company significantly depends on the effort that employees put into their work, beyond the general tasks, required for their position. Responsible employees, who are [...]

Nano-drug delivery systems have opened new pathways for tumor treatment by overcoming some of the limitations of conventional drugs, such as physiological degradation, short half-life, and rapid release. Liposomes are promising nanocarrier systems due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, and high inclusivity, as well as their enhanced drug bioavailability. Various strategies for active targeting of liposomal formulations have been investigated to achieve the highest drug efficacy. This review aims to summarize current developments in novel liposomal formulations, particularly ligand-targeted liposomes (such as folate, transferrin, hyaluronic acid, antibodies, aptamer, and peptide, etc.) used for the therapy of various cancers and provide an insight on the challenges and future of liposomes for scientists and pharmaceutical companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management of cardiogenic shock (CS) after ACS has evolved over time, and the development of a multidisciplinary team-based approach has been shown to improve outcomes, although mortality remains high. Methods: All consecutive patients with ACS-CS admitted at our CICU from March 2012 to July 2021 were included in this single-center retrospective study. In 2019, we established a "shock team" consisting of a cardiac intensivist, an interventional cardiologist, an anesthetist, and a cardiac surgeon. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: We included 167 patients [males 67%; age 71 (61–80) years] with ischemic CS. The proportion of SCAI shock stages from A to E were 3.6%, 6.6%, 69.4%, 9.6%, and 10.8%, respectively, with a mean baseline serum lactate of 5.2 (3.1–8.8) mmol/L. Sixty-six percent of patients had severe LV dysfunction, and 76.1% needed ≥ 1 inotropic drug. Mechanical cardiac support (MCS) was pursued in 91.1% [65% IABP, 23% Impella CP, 4% VA-ECMO]. From March 2012 to July 2021, we observed a significative temporal trend in mortality reduction from 57% to 29% (OR = 0.90, p = 0.0015). Over time, CS management has changed, with a significant increase in Impella catheter use (p = 0.0005) and a greater use of dobutamine and levosimendan (p = 0.015 and p = 0.0001) as inotropic support. In-hospital mortality varied across SCAI shock stages, and the SCAI E profile was associated with a poor prognosis regardless of patient age (OR 28.50, p = 0.039). Conclusions: The temporal trend mortality reduction in CS patients is multifactorial, and it could be explained by the multidisciplinary care developed over the years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at clarifying the report between the President and the Constitutional Court. If we take as a starting point the constitutional mandate of these two institutions it follows that their final mission is the same, i.e., the protection and safeguarding of the constitutional system. This paper, thus, will clarify the key points in which this report is expressed. Further, this paper examines the theoretical aspects of the report between the President and the Constitutional Court, starting from the debate over this issue between Karl Schmitt and Hans Kelsen. An important part of the paper will examine the Constitution of Kosovo, i.e., the contents of the constitutional norm and its application. The analysis focuses on the role such report between the two institutions has on the functioning of the constitutional system. In analyzing the case of Kosovo, this paper examines Constitutional Court cases in which the report between the President and the Constitutional Court has been an issue of review. Such cases assist us in clarifying the main theme of this paper. Therefore, the reader will be able to understand the key elements of the report between the President as a representative of the unity of the people on the one hand and the Constitutional Court as a guarantor of constitutionality on the other hand.

Scientific research paper entitled “Judicial control of administrative activity and advantages of reorganization of the judicial system in the Republic of Kosovo” is treated with standard writing, including the introductory part and corresponding chapters. In the introductory part of the paper is emphasized the importance of the topic which is treated, with particular emphasis on the importance of judicial control in the Republic of Kosovo. This paper aims to achieve three main goals: Firstly, highlighting the importance and ways of functioning of judicial control in general, secondly, explication the method of treatment and the importance of the application of judicial control in the Republic of Kosovo and thirdly, highlighting the challenges of judicial control in the Republic of Kosovo, especially after the reorganization of the judicial system. The paper is structured as follows: introduction, general views on judicial control, including the importance of judicial control. Within the structure, important theses constitute those theses dedicated to administrative justice in the Republic of Kosovo, the legislative framework and judicial system reform in the Republic of Kosovo, including its impact on the functioning of the administrative judiciary. In the last part of the paper there are clear and consistent conclusions and significant recommendations relating to general views about judicial control, with particular emphasis on their practical implementation in the Republic of Kosovo and the way of adjustment with the reforms in the field of administrative justice which are at the beginnings of the implementation.

The real estate market has an important impact on social and economic development of a country, and it involves many aspects which increase the complexity of the impact analysis and often have opposite directions. This can be supported by the fact that real estate is one of the most important items in public spending3, but also in investment expenses in general (this is especially typical for Albania). These expenses are mainly related to infrastructure and accommodation of homeless people by the National Housing Entity. Researchers have studied the relation between the price of real estates with the GDP of a country, concluding that real estate prices and the government policies related to them, do impact the GDP growth, and movements in residential prices can be used to forecast GDP growth. On the other hand, when purchasing a home, individuals use all their savings, or take loans, which constantly cause the reduction of consumption and saving possibilities in order to afford the installments and other loan expenses. So, from this point of view, this investment may have an adverse effect, even on GDP. But, the question we raise in this study is: what impact has the real estate market in Albanian economy? We begin the study by emphasizing the importance of the real estate market, and then we identify key developments related to this market’s financing, price developments and the construction activity, as an important part of the market itself. The study is concluded with a regression analysis on the role the real estate market plays in the Albanian economy.

This paper aims to identify the main topics on which scientific research has been oriented, from 2019 through 2022, about the use of educational technology in teaching and learning. The methodological approach used was qualitative. The sample size was n = 92 (scientific articles from Web of Science, Scopus, Eric, and Google Scholar databases). Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. From the analysis of the data, it has been established that the main topics on which scientific research is oriented are the use of educational technology (1) for the learning environment, (2) as a pedagogical approach, (3) for student assessment, and (4) in support of students with special needs. Some perspectives are also given regarding the orientation of scientific research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]