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The educational context has been disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to explore attitudes of pupils in Serbia toward distance education during the pandemic. Specifically, we aimed to explore the cognitive component of pupils’ attitudes through their perception of positive and negative aspects of distance education, the motivational component based on the expressions of how distance education affects pupils’ motivation to learn, and emotional component through verbal expressions of emotions toward distance education. The sample for the study included 110 pupils attending primary (5th to 8th grade) and secondary schools in Serbia. A semi-structured interview was employed. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that majority of pupils have negative attitudes toward distance education and that they find insufficient interaction between teachers and pupils to be the major shortcoming of distance education. Positive aspects of distance education which could be preserved after the pandemic according to the participants’ views are: communication between teachers and pupils using information technologies (IT), technical possibilities for a better presentation of learning topics and permanent availability of learning materials on online platforms. The study revealed the lack of intrinsic learning motivation and deficiencies in pupils’ self-regulation of learning which are important to be overcome as they impede pupils’ academic development both in distance and in classroom education.

Belsky’s theory of differential susceptibility to environmental influences assumes that the very individuals who seem most susceptible to environmental adversity may also benefit most from developmentally supportive rearing. The aim of this study was to examine whether supportive parenting (with parental care) in contrast to unsupportive parenting (without parental care), has greater beneficial effects in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) than in typically developing (TD) adolescents. The sample included two groups of adolescents aged 12-18: the group of 210 adolescents without parental care (PC), 80 with ID (Mage = 15.59 years; SDage = 1.97; 54% boys), 130 TD adolescents (Mage = 15.03 years; SDage = 1.95; 52% boys) and the parallel group of 206 adolescents with PC, 76 with ID (Mage = 15.57 years; SDage = 1.93; 53% boys), 130 TD adolescents (Mage = 15.03 years; SDage = 1.95; 52% boys). Social competence was assessed using the Social Skills Rating System. Our assumption was confirmed with respect to self-control, cooperation and responsibility, adolescents with ID are more susceptible to influences of parenting status compared with TD adolescents. With respect to externalising problems, our assumption was not confirmed, possibly due to the less supportive parenting environment characterised by more parenting risk factors in families of adolescents with ID. The implications for prevention of externalising problems were discussed in relation to school and family context.

Partnership between schools and parents has been the subject of numerous papers, but there is a small number of research studies on the partnership between preschool institutions and parents in Serbia. Taking into account the importance of early education, the aim of this study was to examine various aspects of partnership between parents and preschool teachers and differences in the level of partnership in individual domains. Also, the aim was to determine whether there were any differences in cooperation with parents of children with and without developmental disabilities. The study included 120 preschool teachers who evaluated the partnership with 197 parents of children 3 to 7 years of age. The Parent involvement questionnaire was used, which included the following subscales: mutual information, parent involvement in preschool- and home-based activities. The results showed that parent involvement was the lowest in preschool-based activities. Statistically significant differences in partnership with parents of children with and without disabilities existed on certain issues, but there were no significant differences on the subscales as a whole. In conclusion, the interventions that need to be taken in terms of partnership between parents and educators in order to make the effects on the development of children better were pointed out.

Background: Oxidative stress has been associated with cervical cancer. Our aim was to examine lipid peroxidation and the extent of oxidative stress in women diagnosed with different stages of cervical cancer in order to evaluate its potential role in the evolution of cancer. Methods: We measured the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, activities of antioxidative enzymes and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine in 153 subjects. Enzymatic activity as well as TBARS concentration were measured spectrophotometrically, while 8-OHdG was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PPatients were categorized: group II H-SIL; group III FIGO Ia-Ib and group IV FIGO IIa-IV Results: Our results showed highly significant increase in the level of lipid peroxidation in group IV when compared to the control group, group II and group III (p

Problems with peers are more common among children with intellectual disabilities (ID) than typical development (TD) children. As a lack of research in this field states the heterogeneity of the samples in relation to the level of disability and age, which is important for the ability to plan preventive programs and targeted interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the association between intellectual status and age with peer relationships. The study included 206 students aged 12 to 18 years, of which 76 with mild ID and 130 TD. Peer relationships were measured by Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory (compromise, problem solving, yielding, avoidance and domination) and by The Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaires, subscale Problems with peers, form for teachers. The main findings showed that students with mild ID have more problems with peers than TD students. Unlike TD students, students with mild IO at secondary school more often yielding and avoidance conflicts. At later age dominance is less frequent in both groups of students, and problem solving and compromise are statistically more frequent in students with mild ID group than in TD peers group. It was concluded that negative social experience of young people with mild ID simultaneously motivate to constructive and destructive ways of resolving conflicts.

Previous studies have offered important findings on the frequency of negative forms of social behaviour in children with intellectual disabilities and typically developing children. However, there is a lack of studies dealing with the link between the prosocial behaviour of youth and family variables. The aim of the conducted research was to study the degree of connection of the quality of parenting and the level of intellectual development of adolescents with the prosocial behaviour of adolescents. The sample consisted of 416 respondents, aged 12 to 18, divided into two groups. One group comprised 210 adolescents (130 typically developing adolescents and 80 adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities) without parental care, and the other group included 206 adolescents (130 typically developing adolescents and 76 adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities) with parental care. For the assessment of prosocial behaviour we used the subscale Prosocial behaviour from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires - SDQ. The results have confirmed that, regardless of intellectual status, young people without parental care exhibited prosocial behaviour significantly less frequently than young people with parental care. The findings are discussed within the context of the starting model. The concluding part of the paper points to the fact that cognitive deficits are not a limiting factor in the development of prosocial behaviour of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities and that further research is needed on the influence of environmental factors on the exhibition of prosocial behaviour in adolescents.

Bearing in mind limited effects of interventions focused on the child and its limitations the attention of researches is more and more directed to immediate and wider ambience factors in the prevention of negative forms of behaviour of children. The aim of the research was to determine the level of connectedness of family and intellectual status of adolescents and different aspects of their social functioning. The sample of 416 adolescents, aged 12 to 18, was divided into two groups. The group without parental care included 210 respondents (130 with typical development - TD and 80 with mild intellectual disability - MID), and the group with parental care (130 TD and 76 MID). We used Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire with subscales: behavioral problems, emotional problems and problems with peers. Family problems were divided in socioeconomic problems, partners' problem, mental health of parents, abuse, and neglect. The results confirmed that the young without parental care showed more problems in behavior than their peers with parental care, and that family status affects behavior more than intellectual status. Family is the protective factor for the development of emotional problems of the young TD students, while it is risky for MID students. Problems with peers are not significantly connected with family or intellectual status. Some implications of the results are stressed.

Bacground/Aim. Hepcidin may play a pathogenetic role in iron metobolism disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between hepcidin concentration and parameters of iron metabolism in patients with different stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods. The study involved 104 patients with CKD: 64 on hemodialysis (HD) and 40 patients in pre-dialysis stadium (pre-HD) with adequate erythropoetin therapy and iron supplementation. The HD group was divided in four subgroups according to the level of serum ferritin (up to 100; 100-199; 200-499 and over 500 ng/mL). Parameters of anemia, iron status, inflamation and hepcidin level were evaluated. Results. The HD patients had a significantly lower eritrocyte count, erythrocytes indexes, hemoglobin and transferrin saturation and significantly higher iron, ferritin, hepcidin and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). The HD subgroups up to 199 ng/mL of serum feritin had lower high-sensitivity Creactive protein (hsCRP), iron and higher unbuffered iron binding capacity (UIBC), transferrin saturation and TIBC compared to the HD subgroups over 200 ng/mL. The lowest and the highest ferritin subgroups had the highest hepcidin level and it showed significant correlation with ferritin. Conclusion. Hepcidin may serve as a marker for better diagnosing and monitoring anemia and iron metabolism disorders in CKD.

Background/Aim. Pathogen inactivation in blood products using riboflavin and ultraviolet (UV) light represents a proactive approach to blood safety, not only for known infectious agents but also for new ones or not yet recognized as threats to the blood supply. This method inactivates a virus, bacteria, fungus, or protozoan pathogen from the blood product without damaging its function or shelf-life. The aim of the study was to study the influence of photoinactivation using riboflavin on the concentration of coagulation factors and coagulation inhibitors in plasma that was treated before freezing. Methods. The examination included 30 units of plasma, separated from whole blood donated by voluntary blood donors around 6 h from the moment of collection. They were treated by riboflavin (35 mL) and UV rays (6.24 J/mL, 265-370 nm) on Mirasol aparature (Caridian BCT Biotechnologies, USA) in approximate duration of 6 min. The samples for examining were taken before (K - control units) and after illumination (I - illuminated units). Results. Comparing the middle values of coagulation factors in the control and illuminated units we noticed their statistically significant decrease in illuminated units (p < 0.001), but the activity of coagulation ones was still in the reference range. The most sensitive coagulation factors to photoinactivation were FVIII, FIX and FXI (21.99%, 20.54% and 17.26% loss, respectively). Anticoagulant factors were better preseved than coagulation factors. Conclusion. Plasma separated from whole blood donation within 6 h, treated with riboflavin and UV light within 6 h from separation and frozen at temperature below -30ºC within 24 h, shows good retention of pro- and anticoagulation activity.

Background: In the second half of the twentieth century, cancer treatment options evolved with more sophisticated selection of targets for cancer therapy, which led to the development of more intelligent drugs directed against these specific targets. One group of pharmaceutical molecules with specific and unique properties against (or for) a welldefined molecular target is monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The purpose of this study was to show the expenditure of mAbs at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina from 2007 to 2011. Next, to display the number of patients treated with mAbs and therapy cycles, for each indication. Methods: We used software programs Lirpis and LWM for collecting the data regarding mAbs expenditure from April 2007 to 2011. The comments about the situation in Serbia were given with the review on the FDA approvals. Results: The results showed the increase in number of ampoules dispensed from the pharmacy from 2007 to 2010, and a slight decrease in 2011 for all mAbs. With 4070 vials of rituximab, 195 patients were treated. The average number of therapy cycles was 7.34. With total number of 4341 of trastuzumab, we treated 310 patients, with average number of cycles 12.27. With 1343 ampoules of bevacizumab, we treated 92 patients. The average number of cycles was 6.63. With 7051 ampoules of cetuximab, we treated 94 patients, with average number of therapy cycle of 5.94. Conclusion: Despite proven benefits of mAbs for many other indications according to FDA, in our Institution (based on the indications approved by Republic Institute of Health Insurance), bevacizumab, and cetuximab are used for colorectal cancer, trastuzumab is only used for breast cancer and rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The decrease of the number of ampoules dispensed from our pharmacy and the number of patients in 2011 was caused by tightening the criteria indications by Republic Institute of Health Insurance.

Background/Aim. Vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular cell adhesive molecules-1 (ICAM- 1) play an important role in developing and progression of coronary atherosclerosis. The aim of the paper was to compare concentrations of soluble forms of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in patients with different clinical presentations of coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients without CAD. Methods. Blood samples were taken from 25 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 25 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 25 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and from 15 control patients without CAD, and concentrations of solubile adhesive molecules (VCAM-1, ICAM-1) were determined. Results. Obesity was more prominent in the NAP than in the SAP and the control patients (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in gender distribution, age, duration of the CAD and body mass index between the groups. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus type 2 were more frequent in the CAD patients than in the controls (p < 0.01). Family history of the CAD was more frequent in the AMI and the UAP group than in the controls (p < 0.05). Serum concentrations of VCAM-1 was similar in the patients with AMI (955.9 ± 117.8 ng/mL), UAP (952.4 ± 139.1 ng/mL) and SAP (931 ± 169.8 ng/mL), and significantly higher in these groups compared with the controls (823.4 ± 97.6; p < 0.05, p < 0.05 and p < 0.1 respectively). Serum concentration of ICAM-1 was similar in the patients with AMI (699.2±125.6 ng/mL), UAP (727.6±171.8 ng/mL) and SAP (697.5±165.6 ng/mL), and significantly higher in these groups compared with the controls (583.4 ± 86.6; p < 0.1, p < 0.05 and p < 0.1 respectively). Conclusion. Increased concentrations of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, as markers of inflammation, showed the importance of inflammatory processes in development of atherosclerosis and clinical expression of CAD. Measurement of soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations is a useful indicator of atherosclerosis presence but not severity of CAD clinical presentation.

The study focused on 30 dyslipidemic patients (12 women and 18 men); 16 of them had coronary disease (CD). The concentrations of apoA and apoB were determined in all patients, as well as the calculated ratio between apoA and apoB. As far as inflammatory indicators are concerned, the concentrations of sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP), albumin, fibrinogen, intracellular adhesive molecule (ICAM-1) and vascular adhesive molecule (VCAM -1) were determined. In patients with CD there were considerably higher concentrations of fibrinogen (3.1 ± 1.2 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7 g/L) and VCAM-1 (10.9 ± 3.6 vs. 8.3 ± 2.8 g/L) (p

The research focused on 40 patients (22 women and 18 men) with DM type 2, 26 of who underwent statin therapy and 14 of them followed a hygienic-dietetic regime. After a year of careful observation, the concentration of triglycerides (TG) was determined, as well as the overall cholesterol (TC) LDL-C, HDL-C, nonHDL cholesterol and atherogenic indices. As far as inflammatory indicators are concerned, the concentrations of highly sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP), intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) and vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) were determined; they were also compared among the therapy groups. The average TC and LDL-C values were considerably lower in the group treated by statins (5.6 ± 1.2 vs. 6.3 ± 1.4 mmol/L and 3.5 ± 0.9 vs. 4 ± 1.3 mmol/L, p

Copyright of Acta Medica Medianae is the property of Acta Medica Medianae and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Facultatis Medicae Naissensis is the property of Nis University, Faculty of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dold's theorem gives sufficient conditions for proving that there is no G-equivariant mapping between two spaces. We prove a generalization of Dold's theorem, which requires triviality of homology with some coefficients, up to dimension n, instead of n-connectedness. Then we apply it to a special case of Knaster's famous problem, and obtain a new proof of a result of C. T. Yang, which is much shorter and simpler than previous proofs. Also, we obtain a positive answer to some other cases of Knaster's problem, and improve a result of V. V. Makeev, by weakening the conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the problems concerning the erecting of the Zagreb Academy of Music building are discussed. This institution was established in 1922 and has never been operating within one single physical space since then; instead, its teaching courses have been dispersed at several rented locations. Furthermore, in order to offer a comparative insight into their operating modes, the overview of the situation in the facilities of university level music institutions in neighbouring countries is given -- in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Serbia -- which, as countries that emerged from the former Yugoslavia, underwent similar historical processes. In addition, insight is also given into some university level music institutions in other European countries, such as France, England and Poland. While similar institutions in the capitals of the former Yugoslavia deal with similar problems as the Zagreb Academy of Music, the other European Union countries mentioned here have well-ordered university level music institutions with single facilities, thus functioning as one of the main factors in the music culture of their respective countries. In the second part of the article, analyses of Croatian media impact accompanying the erection of the Zagreb Academy of Music facilities are given, based on newspaper articles published in the following print media: Aktual, Business.hr, Fokus, Glas Istre, Glas Slavonije, Globus, Građevinar, Hrvatsko slovo, Jutarnji list, Nacional, Novi list, ProGradnja, Slobodna Dalmacija, Školske novine, Večernji list, Vijenac, Vjesnik, Zagreb News, and Zagreb moj grad, as well as on internet portals, during the period from 1 January 2003 until 1 May 2012. The main goal of this presentation, with the help of graphs and statistical data, is to show and investigate the themes, content and attitudes connected with the whole complex of the erection of the Zagreb Academy of Music facilities. The results of the media analyses show that the institutional communication with the media and, consequently, with the broader general public, was totally unplanned, thus failing to form a positive public opinion about the need of erecting such Academy of Music facilities. The analyses have also shown that the whole issue was used by political parties and politicians in promoting their personal goals, which resulted -- supported by the lack of adequate news being launched by the Academy of Music itself -- in creating a partly negative public context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the second half of the twentieth century, cancer treatment options evolved with more sophisticated selection of targets for cancer therapy, which led to the development of more intelligent drugs directed against these specific targets. One group of pharmaceutical molecules with specific and unique properties against (or for) a well-defined molecular target is monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The purpose of this study was to show the expenditure of mAbs at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina from 2007 to 2011. Next, to display the number of patients treated with mAbs and therapy cycles, for each indication. Methods: We used software programs Lirpis and LWM for collecting the data regarding mAbs expenditure from April 2007 to 2011. The comments about the situation in Serbia were given with the review on the FDA approvals. Results: The results showed the increase in number of ampoules dispensed from the pharmacy from 2007 to 2010, and a slight decrease in 2011 for all mAbs. With 4070 vials of rituximab, 195 patients were treated. The average number of therapy cycles was 7.34. With total number of 4341 of trastuzumab, we treated 310 patients, with average number of cycles 12.27. With 1343 ampoules of bevacizumab, we treated 92 patients. The average number of cycles was 6.63. With 7051 ampoules of cetuximab, we treated 94 patients, with average number of therapy cycle of 5.94. Conclusion: Despite proven benefits of mAbs for many other indications according to FDA, in our Institution (based on the indications approved by Republic Institute of Health Insurance), bevacizumab, and cetuximab are used for colorectal cancer, trastuzumab is only used for breast cancer and rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The decrease of the number of ampoules dispensed from our pharmacy and the number of patients in 2011 was caused by tightening the criteria indications by Republic Institute of Health Insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Medica Medianae is the property of Acta Medica Medianae and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background/Aim. Vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular cell adhesive molecules-1 (ICAM-1) play an important role in developing and progression of coronary atherosclerosis. The aim of the paper was to compare concentrations of soluble forms of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in patients with different clinical presenations of coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients without CAD. Methods. Blood samples were taken from 25 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 25 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 25 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and from 15 control patients without CAD, and concentrations of solubile adhesive molecules (VCAM-1, ICAM-1) were determined. Results. Obesity was more prominent in the NAP than in the SAP and the control patients (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in gender distribution, age, duration of the CAD and body mass index between the groups. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus type 2 were more frequent in the CAD patients than in the controls (p < 0.01). Family history of the CAD was more frequent in the AMI and the UAP group than in the controls (p < 0.05). Serum concentrations of VCAM-1 was similar in the patients with AMI (955.9 ± 117.8 ng/mL), UAP (952.4 ± 139.1 ng/mL) and SAP (931 ± 169.8 ng/mL), and significantly higher in these groups compared with the controls (823.4 ± 97.6; p < 0.05, p < 0.05 and p < 0.1 respectively). Serum concentration of ICAM-1 was similar in the patients with AMI (699.2±125.6 ng/mL), UAP (727.6±171.8 ng/mL) and SAP (697.5±165.6 ng/mL), and significantly higher in these groups compared with the controls (583.4 ± 86.6; p < 0.1, p < 0.05 and p < 0.1 respectively). Conclusion. Increased concentrations of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, as markers of inflammation, showed the importance of inflammatory processes in development of atherosclerosis and clinical expresion of CAD. Measurement of soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations is a usefull indicator of atherosclerosis presence but not severity of CAD clinical presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. Pathogen inactivation in blood products using riboflavin and ultraviolet (UV) light represents a proactive approach to blood safety, not only for known infectious agents but also for new ones or not yet recognized as threats to the blood supply. This method inactivates a virus, bacteria, fungus, or protozoan pathogen from the blood product without damaging its function or shelf-life. The aim of the study was to study the influence of photoinactivation using riboflavin on the concentration of coagulation factors and coagulation inhibitors in plasma that was treated before freezing. Methods. The examination included 30 units of plasma, separated from whole blood donated by voluntary blood donors around 6 h from the moment of collection. They were treated by riboflavin (35 mL) and UV rays (6.24 J/mL, 265-370 nm) on Mirasol aparature (Caridian BCT Biotechnologies, USA) in approximate duration of 6 min. The samples for examining were taken before (K - control units) and after illumination (I - illuminated units). Results. Comparing the middle values of coagulation factors in the control and illuminated units we noticed their statistically significant decrease in illuminated units (p < 0.001), but the activity of coagulation ones was still in the reference range. The most sensitive coagulation factors to photoinactivation were FVIII, FIX and FXI (21.99%, 20.54% and 17.26% loss, respectively). Anticoagulant factors were better preseved than coagulation factors. Conclusion. Plasma separated from whole blood donation within 6 h, treated with riboflavin and UV light within 6 h from separation and frozen at temperature below -30 °C within 24 h, shows good retention of pro- and anticoagulation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]