Predictive role of alexithymia in the assessment of anxiety and depression in students with bronchial asthma

Astma kao jedna od najčešćih hroničnih bolesti utiče ne samo na fizičko nego i na mentalno zdravlje pacijenta. U mlađoj populaciji, uključujući i studente univerziteta, astma je od posebnog značaja, zbog više prevalencije u poređenju sa drugim hroničnim bolestima. Adolescenti sa astmom su u dva puta većem riziku za psihološke poremećaje kao što su anksioznost i depresija i u povećanom riziku za smrtni ishod zbod nje. Anksioznost i depresivnost su nezavisni faktori rizika za lošu kontrolu astme. Uloga aleksitimije, kao posebne specifične psihološke karakteristike opisane kao smanjene mogućnosti u prepoznavanju i opisivanju emocija, i povezanost sa nivoom anksioznosti i depresivnosti u astmi, takođe je prepoznata. Prevalencija aleksitimije je procenjena na 8-19% u opštoj populaciji, ali je primećena i kod obolelih od hroničnih bolesti. Aleksitimija može biti povezana sa rekurentnim veoma teškim egzacerbacijama kod obolelih od astme. Postoji mali broj istraživanja koja su pratila specifičnu ulogu aleksitimije u populaciji univerzitetskih studenta sa astmom. Cilj ove studije je bio da se odredi prevalencija aleksitimije kod studenata sa astmom, i njena relacija sa plućnom fumkcijom, anksioznošću i depresivnošću. Takođe, cilj je bio i validacija srpske verzije testa za kontrolu astme (ACT) kod obolelih od astme. Metod. Studija preseka je sprovedena u Zavodu za zdravstvenu zaštitu studenata u Beogradu, Srbija, i uključila je 210 studenata univerziteta sa astmom i 201 zdravog studenta kao kontrolnu grupu. Toronto aleksitimija skala (TAS-20) je korišćena za procenu aleksitimije i poređenje skorova tri glavna faktora aleksitimije: teškoće u prepoznavanju osećanja (Faktor 1), teškoće u opisivanju osećanja (Faktor 2) i eksterno orijentisano mišljenje (Faktor 3). Svi ispitanici su podvrgnuti spirometrijskom testiranju, procenjena im je kontrola astme korišćenjem Testa za kontrolu astme i na osnovu preporuka Globalne inicijative za astmu (GINE) i psihometrijski parametri su prezentovani Bekovom skalom depresivnosti (BDI) i Bekovom skalom anksioznosti (BAI). Psihometrijski skorovi izmereni ovim upitnicima su sumirani u Totalni psihometrijski skor (TPS) sa ciljem da se definiše odgovarajući psihološki poremećaj...Asthma as one of the most prevalent chronic disease has impact not only on physical but also on mental health of the patient. In younger population, including university students, asthma is of special importance, having higher prevalence compared to other chronic diseases. Adolescents with asthma are at two-fold higher risk of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression and are at increased risk for asthma death as well. Anxiety and depression are independant risk factors for poor asthma control. The role of alexithymia, as separate specific psychological feature described as lack of capability to identify and verbalize emotions, and association with levels of anxiety and depression in asthma has also been recognized. Prevalence of alexithymia is estimated to be 8-19% in general population, observed also in chronic diseases. Alexithymia may be related to recurrent very severe asthma exacerbations in patients with asthma. Limited research was published specifically at the role of alexithymia in university student population with asthma. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of alexithymia in students with asthma, and its relationship with pulmonary function, anxiety and depression. Also, the aim was to validate Serbian version of the Asthma control test (ACT) in patients with athma. Method. The cross-section study was conducted in the Institute for Students Health Care in Belgrade, Serbia, including 210 university students diagnosed with asthma and 201 healthy students as control group. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used for alexithymia assessment and compared with scores for the three main alexithymia factors: difficulty identifying feelings (Factor 1), difficulty describing feelings (Factor 2) and externally-oriented thinking (Factor 3). All subjects underwent spirometry. Asthma control was assessed by Asthma Control test (ACT) score and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines and psychometric parameters presented by Beck’s Depression Index (BDI) and Beck’s Anxiety Index (BAI). All these parameters were analyzed for correlation. Psychometric scores obtained by these questionnaires were summed (Total Psychometric Score-TPS) with the aim to define an appropriate psychological disorder..

The Conceptual Act of (Non)Instrumentality

This paper aims at hypothesizing that the issue of technology could never be con sidered separate from the creative act. We develop the hypothesis starting from Heidegger’s opposition of technology and the poietic, which we interpret through the dialectic between the performative and constative function of the hand. To overcome the Heideggerian problem of Enframing, we introduce the question of singularity inherent in every poietic activity which, however, does not result in conceiving technology as an instrument. When defining the nature of such poietic singularization we employ Spinoza’s concept of an inadequate idea – an idea that involves its cause but does not explain it. The inherent negativity of the inadequate idea generates the sphere in which the new appears as radical otherness. But in order to produce the new, that is, to perform it, technology has to be conceptualized and thus made an instrument – a singular instrument of the creative act

On the influence of spike shape at supersonic flow past blunt bodies

Da bi se eliminsala pojava jakog udarnog talasa pri nadzvučnom opstrujavanju projektila, koja zanačajno povećava otpor pri letu krozvazduh, na njegov vrh montira se igla. U radu se daju rezultati eksperimentalnog istraživanja uticaja oblika igle na aerodinamičke koeficijente (uzgona, otpora, momenta propinjanja, kao i položaj centra pritiska) pri nadzvučnom opstrujavanju tela zaobljenog vrha. Eksperiment je izveden u aereotunelu, za jednu vrednost Mahovog i Rejnoldsovog broja, kao i za jednu vrednost napadnog ugla α = 2o. Za telo bez igle, kao i za telo sa četiri različita modela igle merene su aerodinamičke sile i momenti. U radu su predloženi kriterijumi za procenu uticaja igle zasnovani isključivo na rezultataima dobijrenim vizualizacijom strujanja. Igla najboljih karakteristika, od ispitanih konfiguracija, izabrana na osnovu izmerenih aerodinamičkih koeficijenata, uklapa se u ove kvalitativne kriterijume.In order to eliminate the appearance of a strong shock wave at a supersonic flight of a missile, which considerably increases the drag during its flight through the air, a spike is mounted on its nose. Presented paper offers the results of an experimental analysis of the influence of the spike's shape on the aerodynamic coefficients (drag, lift and pitching moment coefficient, as well as the location of the center of pressure) at supersonic flow past blunt-nosed body. The experiment was carried out in a wind tunnel, for one value of Mach and Reynolds numbers, and for one value of the angles of attack, α = 2o. For the body without spike, and with four different spike shapes, the aerodynamic forces and moment were measured. Using only the photos obtained by Schlieren visualization of the flow, the paper proposes a criterion of estimating the aerodynamic effect of the spike shape. The best spike shape from the experimental set of spikes, selected by the measurement of the aerodynamic coefficients, coincided with this qualitative criterion

On the influence of spike shape at supersonic flow past blunt bodies

Da bi se eliminsala pojava jakog udarnog talasa pri nadzvučnom opstrujavanju projektila, koja zanačajno povećava otpor pri letu krozvazduh, na njegov vrh montira se igla. U radu se daju rezultati eksperimentalnog istraživanja uticaja oblika igle na aerodinamičke koeficijente (uzgona, otpora, momenta propinjanja, kao i položaj centra pritiska) pri nadzvučnom opstrujavanju tela zaobljenog vrha. Eksperiment je izveden u aereotunelu, za jednu vrednost Mahovog i Rejnoldsovog broja, kao i za jednu vrednost napadnog ugla α = 2o. Za telo bez igle, kao i za telo sa četiri različita modela igle merene su aerodinamičke sile i momenti. U radu su predloženi kriterijumi za procenu uticaja igle zasnovani isključivo na rezultataima dobijrenim vizualizacijom strujanja. Igla najboljih karakteristika, od ispitanih konfiguracija, izabrana na osnovu izmerenih aerodinamičkih koeficijenata, uklapa se u ove kvalitativne kriterijume.In order to eliminate the appearance of a strong shock wave at a supersonic flight of a missile, which considerably increases the drag during its flight through the air, a spike is mounted on its nose. Presented paper offers the results of an experimental analysis of the influence of the spike's shape on the aerodynamic coefficients (drag, lift and pitching moment coefficient, as well as the location of the center of pressure) at supersonic flow past blunt-nosed body. The experiment was carried out in a wind tunnel, for one value of Mach and Reynolds numbers, and for one value of the angles of attack, α = 2o. For the body without spike, and with four different spike shapes, the aerodynamic forces and moment were measured. Using only the photos obtained by Schlieren visualization of the flow, the paper proposes a criterion of estimating the aerodynamic effect of the spike shape. The best spike shape from the experimental set of spikes, selected by the measurement of the aerodynamic coefficients, coincided with this qualitative criterion

The role of the psychiatrist in obtaining informed consent from patients with somatic and mental comorbidity. Report of one case

The nature of mental disorders, the attitudes and prejudices of the social community towards psychiatric patients, the behavior and treatment of mental patients, all bring about numerous dilemmas and prejudices. When a patient is diagnosed with a mental disorder, he may suffer restrictions in the field of general human rights. However, the biggest problems in clinical practice occur in the treatment of patients who, besides their mental disorder also have a somatic disease. We report a 56-years-old female with a severe renal failure who refused to undergo dialysis. Following the patient's refusal to sign an informed consent, a psychiatrist was called in for consultation and diagnosed an acute psychotic reaction. To manage the delusions and acute psychotic reactions, risperidone in the dose of 2 mg was started. After 22 days, the patient still had marked psychotic symptoms. A psychiatrist, a nephrologist and an anesthesiologist, in the presence of the spouse on the grounds of her life-threatening condition, decided to apply the necessary medical procedures even without the patient's consent. A day after the start of dialysis the patient still had delusional ideas, but without the presence of anxiety, and the patient no longer offered resistance to dialysis. Four days after the first dialysis, the patient was calm, had vague memories about the entire previous period, and signed the informed consent concerning her further treatment

Dinamika nakupljanja fitata i otpuštanja vode tokom nalivanja zrna kukuruza, II - dinamika otpuštanja vode

The seed filling is a functional consequence of two parallel processes: increasing of water content (incorporates substances and serves as a reaction medium in seeds) and increasing of dry matter content (by absorption and polymerisation). The increase of seed weight was occurring up to the moment of maximal polymerisation, when seed started to release water to get into a dormant stage. The aim of this experiment was to examine dynamics of free, hygroscopic and constitution water during seed filling in four populations and six ZP hybrids of maize, as well as, their correlation with phytic and inorganic phosphorus, as well as, soluble proteins. The dominant water form present during the seed filling was free water. Decreasing of its content occurred 30 days after pollination, while the period of maximum seed weight maintenance was observed more in hybrids than in populations. Moreover, the period of intensive seed filling was longer hybrids than in populations. The dynamics of hygroscopic water had sinusoidal trend for all genotypes. The drop in the content of free water during seed filling occurred at the same time as the decrease in the content of constitution water. The alterations in contents of free and constitution water were, to a great extent, related to the phytate accumulation and the decrease of soluble proteins. From the point of view of selection, the genotypes, such as the population 216, with low phytate and moisture contents in seeds, could serve as a basis for breeding programmes of genotypes with a greater dry down rate.Nalivanje semena je funkcionalna posledica dva paralelna procesa: povećanja sadržaja vode (unosi supstance za izgradnju semena i služi kao reakcioni medijum) i povećanja sadržaja suve materije (apsorpcijom i polimerizacijom). Navedeni rast mase se dešava do trenutka kada procesi polimerizacije dostignu svoj maksimum i kada seme počne da otpušta vodu da bi prešlo u stanje mirovanja. Cilj ogleda je bio da se ispita dinamika slobodne, higroskopne i konstitucione vode tokom nalivanja semena kod četiri populacije i šest ZP hibrida kukuruza, kao i njihova korelacija sa fitinskim i neorganskim fosforom i rastvorljivim proteinima. Tokom nalivanja semena kukuruza dominantna forma vode je bila slobodna voda. Smanjenje njenog sadržaja je nastupilo već nakon 30 dana od oplodnje, dok je kod hibrida period zadržavanja maksimalne mase semena, tj. period intenzivnijeg nalivanja bio nešto duži u odnosu na populacije. Dinamika higroskopne vode je imala sinusoidni trend koji je bio sličan kod većine genotipova. Paralelno sa padom slobodne vode tokom nalivanja semena kukuruza bio je prisutan i trend pada konstitucione vode. Promene sadržaja slobodne i konstitucione vode su bile u visokom stepenu vezane za nakupljanje fitata i smanjenje solubilnih proteina. S tačke gledišta odabira genotipova koji bi mogli predstavljati bazu za brzo otpuštanje vlage prilikom zrenja semena trebalo bi uzeti u obzir populaciju 216, koja uporedo ima i niži nivo fitata u semenu

Dinamika nakupljanja fitata i otpuštanja vode tokom nalivanja semena kukuruza, I - dinamika nakupljanja fitinskog fosfora

Phytic acid is a phosphorus compound with the widest prevalence in nature; it encompasses 60-80% of seed phosphorus. Phytic acid is considered as an antinutritive compound and it is indigestible by monogastric animals. The lowering of the phytic content in course of increasing of available, i.e. inorganic phosphorus in maize seed could be achieved through breeding of the present populations. Phosphorus metabolism in low-phytic genotypes differs during seed filling. The aim of this experiment was to determine the accumulation of inorganic and phytic phosphorus, as well as, of soluble proteins in seed of four populations and six ZP hybrids, including one potentially low phytic population. The synthesis of storage substances, such as phytate, was the most intensive during the first 30 days of seed filling, which was particularly expressed in hybrids. In seed of populations with a relatively low phytic P content the phytate accumulation lasted during the whole filling period. In accordance with the increase of the phytic P content, the contents of inorganic P and soluble proteins decreased, and this reduction reached its maximum 15-30 days after pollination. It is important to underline that the content of all three examined components was relatively uniform in hybrid seed, while non-uniformity at the level of populations, especially in the content of phytic P can serve as a source of favourable properties for breeders.Fitinska kiselina je najrasprostranjenije jedinjenje koje sadrži fosfor, i to 60-80% ukupnog fosfora u semenu. Ona se smatra antinutritivnom supstancom, jer monogastrični organizmi ne mogu da je svare. Smanjenje sadržaja fitinskog na ime lako pristupačnog, tj. neorganskog fosfora u semenu kukuruza moguće je izvršiti selekcijom genotipova iz postojećih populacija. Kod nisko-fitinskih genotipova kukuruza metabolizam fosfornih jedinjenja je drugačiji prilikom nalivanja semena. Cilj ogleda je bio da se ispita dinamika nakupljanja neorganskog i fitinskog fosfora, kao i rastvorljivih proteina tokom nalivanja semena kod četiri populacije i šest ZP hibrida kukuruza, uključujući i jednu potencijalno nisko-fitinsku populaciju. Tokom prvih 30 dana nalivanja semena kukuruza sinteza skladišnih supstanci, kao što je fitat, bila je najintenzivnija, što je posebno bilo izraženo kod hibrida kukuruza. Kod populacija sa relativno niskim učešćem fitinskog fosfora sinteza fitata je trajala tokom čitavog perioda nalivanja. Srazmerno povećanju sadržaja fitinskog, došlo je do smanjenja sadržaja neorganskog fosfora i rastvorljivih proteina, ali je ono bilo najintenzivnije između 15. i 30. dana od oplodnje. Značajno je istaći da je kod hibrida bio prisutan ujednačen sadržaj sve tri ispitivane komponente, dok neujednačenost na nivou populacija, pogotovo u sadržaju fitinskog fosfora može poslužiti kao izvor pogodnih svojstava za selekcionare

Biology contents in curricula of compulsory education in Serbia, Finland and England

At this moment in time, which is marked by extremely negative human influences on the environment, and when a sustainable development of nature is needed, school has a significant role in developing students' knowledge, skills and attitudes towards natural sciences. In European countries, students gain biological knowledge during primary school either through integrated or specific subjects. This paper contains the results of a comparative analysis of the biological content in teaching programs and curricula in three European countries - Serbia, Finland and England. In Serbia, biological contents are included in two integrated subjects (The World Around Us and Nature and Society) during the first cycle of compulsory education, while during the second cycle they are included in a separate subject - biology - and are linearly arranged. Throughout compulsory education in Finland and England, biological contents are concentrically arranged and are realized through the students' research work in their surroundings in several school subjects

Overview of the winter wave of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v in Vojvodina, Serbia

Aim To analyze the epidemiological data for pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, during the season of 2009/2010 and to assess whether including severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) hospitalization data to the surveillance system gives a more complete picture of the impact of influenza during the pandemic. Methods From September 2009 to September 2010, the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina conducted sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illnesses and acute respiratory infections in all hospitalized patients with SARI and virological surveillance of population of Vojvodina according to the European Centers for Disease Control technical document. Results The pandemic influenza outbreak in the province started in October 2009 (week 44) in students who had returned from a school-organized trip to Prague, Bratislava, and Vienna. The highest incidence rate was 1090 per 100 000 inhabitants, found in the week 50. The most affected age group were children 5-14 years old. A total of 1591 patients with severe illness were admitted to regional hospitals, with a case fatality rate of 2%, representing a hospitalization rate of 78.3 per 100 000 inhabitants and a mortality rate of 1.6 per 100 000. Most frequently hospitalized were 15-19 years old patients, male patients, and patients with pneumonia (P < 0.001). The highest case fatality rate was found among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (P < 0.001). Nasal/throat swabs were obtained for polymerase chain reaction test from 315 hospitalized patients and 20 non-hospitalized patients, and 145 (46%) and 15 (75%) specimens, respectively, tested positive on A(H1N1)v. Conclusion Sentinel influenza-like illness and SARI surveillance, both followed with virological surveillance, seem to be the optimal method to monitor the full scope of the influenza pandemic (from mild to severe influenza) in Vojvodina