Home-literacy practices and academic language skills of migrant pupils

The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between home-literacy activities and other literacy-related practices, including oral activities, such as parent-child interaction and communication in leisure time, and the academic language skills of adolescent pupils with an immigrant background. The study involved 164 adolescent pupils with and 190 adolescent pupils without an immigrant background from schools in Hamburg, Germany. Information concerning students\u27 language practices and home-literacy activities was collected via questionnaire. A validated language test was used to assess pupils\u27 productive academic language skills in German. This article describes the migrant pupils\u27 reported language use during literacy-related and oral activities. The results show that multilingual practices during various activities are usual in migrant pupils\u27 lives, but that different languages assume different functions: the home language seems to be important for interaction with parents on family issues and migration-specific subjects, while German is used more in literacy activities (e.g. reading) and literacy-orientated issues (e.g. discussing social issues). However, the relationship between home-literacy practices and academic language skills requires further analysis. (DIPF/Orig.

Association of renin-angiotensin system genes polymorphism with progression of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background/Aim. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) include a progressive increase in urinary albumin excretion in association with an increase in blood pressure and to end stage renal failure. Hypertension connected with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) hyperactivity and corresponding genotypes, angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensine-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), predispose the increasing risk of DN. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of AGT, ACE and AT1R gene polymorphisms in patients with type 1 DM according to the level of DN and patients clinical characteristics. Methods. The study included 79 type 1 diabetic patients. Inclusion criteria were: age between 20-40, duration of diabetes > 5 years, and no other severe diseases. Clinical characteristics were gained from interviewing the patients. Polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism using restriction enzymes Psy I (Tth 111 I) and Hae III. Results. The patients with proteinuria compared with normo- and microalbuminuric patients, highly differed in age, diabetes duration, blood pressure level, hypertension, rethynopathy and urinary albumin excretion values (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference between the groups was found for the ACE and AT1R gene polymorphisms distribution. The presence of TT genotype of the M235T polymorphism was significantly higher in the group with proteinuria (p < 0.05). The patients with hypertension raised nephropathy 5.2 times higher (OR = 5.20, p < 0.05) while carriers of TT allel developed nephropathy 28.38 times higher (OR = 28.389, p < 0.01) than those with MM genotype. Conclusion. Increased association of hypertension and TT angiotensinogen gene polymorphism in patients with diabetes mellitus with proteinuria could be a significant marker of diabetic nephropathy

Sammelrezension: Mehrsprachigkeit und Förderung der sprachlichen Entwicklung aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive

Sammelrezension: (1) Vivien Heller (2012): Kommunikative Erfahrungen von Kindern in Familie und Unterricht. Passungen und Divergenzen. Tübingen: Stauffenburg Brigitte Narr, 307 S. ISBN 978-3860571125. (2) Peter Siemund, Ingrid Gogolin, Monika Edith Schulz, Julia Davydova (Eds.) (2013): Multilingualism and Language Diversity in Urban Areas. Acquisition, identities, space, education (Vol. 1). Amsterdam: Benjamins, 379 S. ISBN 978-9027214140. (3) Seda Tunç (2012): Der Einfluss der Erstsprache auf den Erwerb der Zweitsprache. Eine empirische Untersuchung zum Einfluss erstsprachlicher Strukturen bei zweisprachig türkisch-deutschen, kroatisch-deutschen und griechisch-deutschen Hauptschülern und Gymnasiasten. Münster: Waxmann, 260 S. ISBN 978-3830927143

Assessment of the quality of life predictors in children with newly diagnosed solid tumors

Poslednjih decenija došlo je do porasta stope preživljavanja dece obolele od malignih bolesti, najviše kao posledica standardizacije i intenziviranja protokola lečenja što je dovelo i do porasta broja i težine neželjenih efekata u vidu različitih fizičkih i psihičkih simptoma sa kojima se deca suočavaju tokom lečenja a i kasnije tokom života. Cilj ovog rada bio je procena kvaliteta života dece sa novootkrivenim solidnim tumorima kao i određivanje prediktora kvaliteta života na početku lečenja. Metod: Istraživanje je obuhvatilo grupu dece sa novootkrivenim solidnim tumorima koja su započela onkološko lečenje na Institutu za onkologiju i radiologiju Srbije u periodu od decembra 2016. do januara 2018. godine. Rezultati: Ukupan broj dece bio je 51. Dečaka je bilo 24 (47,1%), a devojčica 27 (52,9%). Većina dece imala je tumore CNS-a (21/51; 41,2%), dok su na drugom mestu bili koštani tumori (19/51; 39,2%). Diseminovanu formu bolesti imalo je 14/51 dete (27%) a najčešće je diseminacija bila prisutna kod koštanih tumora (8/20; 40%). Prosečan uzrast dece sa tumorima CNS bio je 7,3 ± 3,9 godina a najčešći tip tumora je bio meduloblastom (38%). Prosečan uzrast dece sa koštanim tumorima je bio 13,6±5,7 godina a više dece je imalo Ewing sarkom (12/20; 60%). Najčešća lokalizacija koštanih tumora bili su ekstremiteti (60%). Nije uočena razlika u kvalitetu života u odnosu na pol. U domenu za mučninu značajna razlika u odnosu na uzrast postojala je između namlađe i najstarije dece (p=0,06), dok je u odnosu na tip tumora razlika postojala između dece sa tumorima CNS u odnosu na decu sa tumorima kostiju (p=0,019). U domenu kognitivnih smetnji značajna razlika je postojala između dece uzrasta 5-7 i 8-12 godina (p=0,040) kao i između dece uzrasta 8-12 i 13-18 godina (p=0,020). U domenu za uznemirenost zbog lečenja značajna razlika je postojala između dece sa tumorima CNS i dece sa tumorima kostiju (p=0,042). Značajna razlika uočena je u odnosu na tip tumora za domen fizičkog funkcionisanja između dece sa tumorima CNS i dece sa tumorima kostiju (p=0,021) kao i za domen emocionalnog funkcionisanja između dece sa tumorima kostiju i dece sa tumorima mekih tkiva (p=0,042)...In the last decades, an increase in the survival rate of children diagnosed with malignant diseases has been observed, predominantly as a consequence of standardization and intensification of treatment protocols, which also led to the increase of number and severity of treatment adverse effects represented by various physical and mental symptoms children encounter during the treatment and later in life. The aim of this research was the assessment of the quality of life of children with newly diagnosed solid tumors as well as the assessment of predictors of quality of life at the beginning of treatment. Methods: This research included a group of children with newly diagnosed solid tumors who began their oncological treatment at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia from December 2016 until January 2018. Results: The total number of children enrolled was 51, out of which 24 (47.1%) were boys and 27 (52.9%) girls. Majority of children had tumors of the central nervous system (21/51; 41.2%), followed by bone tumors (19/51; 39.2%). Disseminated form of the disease was present in 14/51 children (27%), predominantly seen in bone tumors (8/20; 40%). The average age of children with CNS tumors was 7.3±3.9 years and the most frequent type of tumor was medulloblastoma (38 %). The average age of children with bone tumors was 13.6 ± 5.7 years with Ewing sarcoma as the most frequently diagnosed bone tumor (12/20; 60%). The most frequent localization of bone tumors were extremities (60%). No difference in the quality of life related to gender was observed. In the nausea domain, a significant difference was found between the youngest and oldest children (p=0.06), while in relation to the type of tumor, the difference was found between children with CNS tumors and children with bone tumors (p=0.019). In the cognitive disorder domain, a significant difference was found between children in 5-7 years age group and children in 8-12 years age group, as well as between children of 8-12 years and 13-18 years (p=0.020). In the treatment anxiety domain, a significant difference was found between children with CNS tumors and children with bone tumors (p=0.042)..

CHARACTERISTICS OF CURCUMIN DYE USED AS A SENSITIZER IN DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS

Dye-sensitized solar cells are the closest mankind has come to replicating nature’s photosynthesis. The type of a dye influences the efficiency of these cells. In this paper we studied curcumin dye as a sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells and compared it with most often used cyanidin. The results have shown that curcumin has higher efficiency and higher absorption in the visible part of the spectrum compared to cyanidin. Simulation models of dye molecules, curcumin and cyanidin, are deprotonated upon adsorption on the titanium dioxide surface. The energy levels obtained from the calculation indicate a higher probability of electron transition from molecule to titanium dioxide surface in case of curcumin than in case of cyanidin. Based on these results, we concluded that curcumin dye has better properties as sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells

Uloga biomarkera i surogatnih parametara u pretkliničkim i kliničkim ispitivanjima lekova

Biomarkeri imaju široku primenu u modernoj medicini i biologiji. Oni su promenili način dijagnostikovanja i klasifikacije bolesti, praćenja efekata terapije, određivanja toksičnosti, a imaju i sve veću primenu u razvoju novih lekova. Karakteristike biomarkera određuju i njihovu primenu. Biomarkeri koji imaju malu moć predviđanja korisnosti tretmana koriste se u ranim fazama razvoja lekova za preliminarni skrining. Biomarkeri velike prediktivne moći mogu biti upotrebljeni kao surogatni parametri u proceni efikasnosti i bezbednosti tretmana. Surogatni parametri validirani u kliničkim istraživanjima i prihvaćeni od strane regulatornih agencija mogu biti korišćeni i za registraciju lekova, naročito za ubrzanu registraciju antiinfektivnih lekova i hemoterapeutika. Međutim, za registraciju antikancerskih lekova regulatorne agencije insistiraju na neophodnosti prospektivnih postmarketinških studija da bi se dokazalo postojanje korelacije surogatnih parametara sa kliničkom koristi od primenjenog tretmana.

Imunokompleksi u krvnom serumu teladi u neonatalnom periodu i kod odraslih goveda

In this work immune complexes (IC) in the sera of healthy calves from birth to four months of age, heifers and cows were investigated. Polyethylen glycol (PEG) precipitation assay was applied after previous standardization. Optical density (OD) of redissolved precipitates, formed after adding PEG to serum samples, was a measure of IC level. The upper-limit values for normal IC levels were established using isolated cattle IgG in different amounts and aggregated by heat as an IC model in vitro, in the same assay. In newborn calves before colostrum intake, OD of 0.047±0.024 was registered in redissolved PEG precipitates, far below the values obtained for native monomeric IgG. Therefore, these values can not be considered to refer to immune complexes. After colostrum intake, OD values for normal IC levels were higher, with significant interindividual differences: in calves at 6 24 and 48 hours after birth the mean OD values of solubilized PEG precipitates were 0.069±0.025, 0.148±0.079, and 0.136±0.062 respectively. In the sera of calves 10 days after birth mean OD value was slightly lower 0.089±0.053, whereas in the serum of 1, 2, 3 and 4 month old calves normal levels of IC rose to 0.165±0.067, 0.157±0.080, 0,231±0,124 and 0.261±0.092 respectively. OD values for IC levels for adult animals were found to be 0,456±0,150 for heifers, and 0,183±0,031 for cows. Together, the obtained data may be included in a reference values system for normal levels of IC at different ages, in relation to which the IC levels under pathological conditions could be estimated.U radu je ispitivan nivo imunokompleksa (IC) u krvnom serumu teladi od rođenja do četiri meseca starosti, kao i kod junica i krava. Za analize je posle predhodne standardizacije korišćen polietilenglikol precipitacioni test (direktan PEG test). Meru nivoa IC predstavljale su vrednosti optičke gustine (OD) rastvorenog precipitata dobijenog nakon taloženja imunokompleksa iz seruma PEG-om. Gornja granica normalnih vrednosti za nivo IC utvrđena je prema vrednostima dobijenim za izolovane i toplotom agregirane kravlje IgG, u istom testu, gde su takvi IgG korišćeni kao modeli IC in vitro. U grupi novorođene teladi pre uzimanja kolostruma vrednosti OD su bile ekstremno niske (OD 0,047±0.024) i nisu mogle biti pripisane imunokompleksima. Vrednosti OD za normalan nivo IC u serumu teladi nakon uzimanja kolostruma su bile više: za telad 6, 24 i 48 sati nakon rođenja taj nivo je iznosio 0,069±0,025, 0,148±0,079 i 0,136±0,062 respektivno. U odnosu na ove vrednosti, nivo IC u serumu teladi 10 dana od rođenja je bio nešto niži i iznosio 0,089±0,053, da bi se, zatim, kontinuirano povećavao kod teladi uzrasta od 1 do 4 meseca i iznosio 0,165±0,067 za telad od 1-og meseca, 0,157±0,080 za telad od 2 meseca, 0,231±0,124 za telad od 3 meseca i 0,261±0,092 za telad od 4 meseca starosti. Nivo imunokompleksa u serumu odraslih goveda iznosio je kod junica 0,456±0,150 i krava 0,183±0,031. Dobijeni rezultati mogu biti uključeni u kontrolni sistem vrednosti za normalan nivo IC u raznim starosnim grupama goveda, koji se može koristiti pri određivanju nivoa IC PEG testom pod patološkim uslovima kod teladi junica i krava

Elektroforetske i imunoelektroforetske karakteristike IgG kao konstituenata peg precipitabilnih imunokompleksa seruma kod teladi do četvrtog meseca starosti

Preruminant calves encounter numerous antigens, and formation of immune complexes is necessary for antigens elimination. The capability of immunologically immature calves to form immune complexes has not yet been studied in detail. For immune complexes studies, selective precipitation by PEG was performed, in combination with agarose gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis, with an aim to determine some properties of IgG, as constituents of immune complexes. In our previous work it was shown that the level of PEG precipitable immune complexes increased in the period from birth to 48-hours of life, decreased at day 10, increased in one month old animals, and after that, stayed unchanged until 4th month of age. Electrophoretic and immunoelectrophoretic analysis showed that until one month of age, calves' sera and PEG precipitates contained only one part of IgG molecules which corresponded to fast, anionic γ globulins. Although at the age of one month, preruminant calves' sera contained all molecular forms of IgG molecules present in the sera of adult cattle, only one part of serum IgG (fast, anionic IgG) was precipitated by PEG. In older calves, all molecular forms of serum IgG had the capacity to form PEG precipitable immune complexes. Presented data, as well as the results of our previous work, can be used as parameters with reference to physicochemical and immunochemical characteristics of IgG immune complexes of preruminant calves under pathological conditions.Telad od rođenja dolazi u kontakt sa velikim brojem antigena za čije je efikasno uklanjanje neophodno formiranje imunokompleksa. Sposobnost ovih, još uvek imunološki nezrelih, životinja da formiraju iminokomplekse, kao i sastav njihovih konstituenata, nisu detaljno ispitivani. U ovom radu smo imunokomplekse iz seruma teladi izolovali precipitacijom polietilen glikolom (PEGom), a osobine IgG, kao potencijalnih konstituenata imunokompleksa, analizirali metodama elektroforeze i imunoelektroforeze. U našem prethodnom radu dokazali smo da se nivo PEG precipitabilnih imunokompleksa menja sa uzrastom teladi. On raste od rođenja do 48. sata, opada desetog dana, ponovo raste u prvom mesecu, nakon čega ostaje nepromenjen do četvrtog meseca starosti. Elekroforetske i imunoelektroforetske analize su ukazale da se u serumu i PEG precipitatima seruma teladi do mesec dana starosti nalazi samo jedna molekulska frakcija IgG koja odgovara brzim, anjonskim IgG. Iako se u serumima teladi već u prvom mesecu starosti nalaze sve molekulske forme IgG koje se nalaze i u serumu odraslih krava, samo jedan njihov deo (brzi, anjonski γ globulini) ima sposobnost da formira imune komplekse. Kod starijih teladi, kao i kod odraslih krava, sve molekulske forme serumskih IgG mogu da formiraju imune komplekse. Ovi rezultati, zajedno sa rezultatima našeg predhodnog rada, se mogu koristiti za dobijanje referentnog sistema vrednosti nivoa i sastava imunokompleksa kod zdravih teladi, a koji bi se mogao koristiti za određivanje nivoa i sastava imunokompleksa kod teladi u patološkim uslovima

Extracellular xenogeneic hemoglobin suppresses the capacity for C2C12 myoblast myogenic differentiation

Functional characteristics of satellite cells (SCs) that act as myogenesis initiators and have emerged as a promising target for cell therapy, are dependent on their microenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cell-free hemoglobin, as a part of the microenvironment of SCs, on their functional characteristics. The C2C12 cell line served as the experimental model of SCs; hemoglobin isolated from porcine (PHb) and bovine (BHb) slaughterhouse blood served as the experimental model for extracellular hemoglobin. The proliferation rate of C2C12 cells was assessed by the MTT test, migration capacity by the scratch assay, and myogenic differentiation capacity by histochemical staining and RT-PCR analysis of the expression of genes specific for myogenic lineage. The effect of hemoglobin on the proliferation and migration of C2C12 cells was dependent on its concentration and the animal species it was isolated from, but the effect of BHb was more prominent. Both PHb and BHb decreased the expression levels of myogenin and muscle specific creatine kinase at a 10 mu M concentration. While PHb had no effect on the morphometric parameters of C2C12 myotubes, BHb modified the area and length of C2C12 myotubes cultivated in DMEM/2% horse serum and DMEM/10% fetal calf serum. While PHb and BHb had no effect on heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) expression, they stimulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (Hif1 alpha) at a concentration of 10 mu M. The mainly inhibitory effect of cell-free hemoglobin on myogenic differentiation suggests that it could be a relevant factor in the outcome of cell therapy of muscle injury