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Based on the analysis of the available literature, the competence of cooperation with parents can be defined as a construct of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enables speech and language therapists to collaborate successfully with parents of children in therapy. This study aims to examine how speech and language therapists from Slovenia and North Macedonia assess their knowledge and skills necessary for cooperation with parents and what their attitudes are in general regarding the involvement of parents in speech and language therapy. For the purpose of the study, a questionnaire was developed to measure the competence of cooperation between speech and language therapists and parents in a sample of 110 speech and language therapists, including 62 speech and language therapists from Slovenia and 48 from North Macedonia. The results show that there were differences between Slovenian and North Macedonian speech and language therapists in self-assessed attitudes towards parental involvement but no differences in the domain of knowledge and skills. The interaction of country and years of work experience is significant for the knowledge domain. Attitudes about cooperation with parents are not affected by years of work experience, area of work, or additional professional training; only the country where the SLTs work has an impact. The competence of collaboration between speech and language therapists and parents varies between the two countries, but there is space for improvement in each domain. The findings of this study may provide a starting point for further research on the competence of cooperation between speech and language therapists and parents.

Since plurilingual competence is crucial for effective communication, cultural understanding, cognitive development, and professional and personal growth, it should also be prioritised in education to enable the continuous development of individuals. One of the most critical aspects of achieving plurilingual competence is creating a stimulating environment that ensures that language learning and use take place in a way that appeals to all pupils. However, there is little research on pupils’ perceptions of plurilingualism and its stimulating environment at the primary level. Therefore, the study’s main aim was to investigate their perceptions, which resulted in a primarily quantitative research method. As a data collection tool an online survey with a combination of a questionnaire and Likert scales statements, which were based on the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures, was developed. For this reason, the article concentrates on determining the level and quality of primary school pupils’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding languages and their associated cultures, as well as on identifying pupils’ opinions, perceptions, and motivational factors. The research study addressed pupils aged 9 to 14. The results indicate that pupils are inclined towards language learning, perceive the importance of plurilingual competence, and express confidence in speaking in foreign languages. However, pupils seem unable to assess their metalinguistic and metacultural knowledge and skills.

Izhodišča: Na podlagi prehranske obravnave in postavljene diagnoze motnja prehranjenosti ali s prehranjenostjo povezane motnje lahko oblikujemo posamezniku prilagojeni načrt prehranskih ukrepov. Ta je nujen, da vzdržujemo ali izboljšamo posameznikovo prehranjenost, pripravijo in izvajajo pa ga bolnik, njegovi bližnji in večstrokovna skupina, ki deluje v okviru različnih organizacijskih oblik ukvarjanja s klinično prehrano. Metode: Skupina 42 slovenskih strokovnjakov iz 19 slovenskih zdravstvenih ustanov je oblikovala eksplicitni terminološki dogovor. Osnovnim pojmom s področja prehranske oskrbe in organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane smo določili slovenski termin in ustrezno terminološko definicijo, pri čemer smo izhajali tako iz strokovne literature področja kot iz jezikoslovne literature. Temelj oblikovanja terminologije so terminološke smernice Evropskega združenja za klinično prehrano in presnovo. Rezultati: V prispevku predstavljamo slovenske termine in terminološke definicije načrta prehranskih ukrepov, prehranske podpore in prehranske terapije. Opredelili smo tudi prehransko okolje, diete, paliativno prehrano in oblike hrane ter hranjenja v klinični prehrani. Opisali smo tudi možnosti za organizacijo prehranske oskrbe v zdravstvenih in negovalnih ustanovah. Zaključek: Poenoteno razumevanje osnovnih pojmov s področja prehranske terapije, prehranske podpore in organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane je nujno za uspešno sporazumevanje med strokovnjaki, poenoteno poučevanje in razvoj ter vključitev organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane v zdravstveni sistem.

Cyanobacteria are adaptable and dominant organisms that exist in many harsh and extreme environments due to their great ecological tolerance. They produce various secondary metabolites, including cyanotoxins. While cyanobacteria are well studied in surface waters and some aerial habitats, numerous other habitats and niches remain underexplored. We collected 61 samples of: (i) biofilms from springs, (ii) aerial microbial mats from buildings and subaerial mats from caves, and (iii) water from borehole wells, caves, alkaline, saline, sulphidic, thermal, and iron springs, rivers, seas, and melted cave ice from five countries (Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Serbia, and Slovenia). We used (q)PCR to detect cyanobacteria (phycocyanin intergenic spacer—PC-IGS and cyanobacteria-specific 16S rRNA gene) and cyanotoxin genes (microcystins—mcyE, saxitoxins—sxtA, cylindrospermopsins—cyrJ), as well as amplicon sequencing and morphological observations for taxonomic identification. Cyanobacteria were detected in samples from caves, a saline spring, and an alkaline spring. While mcyE or sxtA genes were not observed in any sample, cyrJ results showed the presence of a potential cylindrospermopsin producer in a biofilm from a sulphidic spring in Slovenia. This study contributes to our understanding of cyanobacteria occurrence in diverse habitats, including rare and extreme ones, and provides relevant methodological considerations for future research in such environments.

Cyanobacteria are adaptable and dominant organisms that exist in many harsh and extreme environments due to their great ecological tolerance. They produce various secondary metabolites, including cyanotoxins. While cyanobacteria are well studied in surface waters and some aerial habitats, numerous other habitats and niches remain underexplored. We collected 61 samples of: (i) biofilms from springs, (ii) aerial microbial mats from buildings and subaerial mats from caves, and (iii) water from borehole wells, caves, alkaline, saline, sulphidic, thermal, and iron springs, rivers, seas, and melted cave ice from five countries (Croatia, Georgia, Italy, Serbia, and Slovenia). We used (q)PCR to detect cyanobacteria (phycocyanin intergenic spacer-PC-IGS and cyanobacteria-specific 16S rRNA gene) and cyanotoxin genes (microcystins- mcyE , saxitoxins- sxtA , cylindrospermopsins- cyrJ ), as well as amplicon sequencing and morphological observations for taxonomic identification. Cyanobacteria were detected in samples from caves, a saline spring, and an alkaline spring. While mcyE or sxtA genes were not observed in any sample, cyrJ results showed the presence of a potential cylindrospermopsin producer in a biofilm from a sulphidic spring in Slovenia. This study contributes to our understanding of cyanobacteria occurrence in diverse habitats, including rare and extreme ones, and provides relevant methodological considerations for future research in such environments.