Uloga i značaj centara za genetsko unapređenje u očuvanju i održivom korišćenju ribljeg fonda salmonida

Cilj ovog rada je da ukaže na potrebu znatno većeg učešća naučno zasnovanih principa u procesu poribljavanja salmonidnih ribolovnih voda na području Srbije. Rad ukazuje na potrebu za izgradnjom i unapređenjem objekata za uzgoj riblje mlađi u kojima će se ona proizvoditi u adekvatnim uslovima, odgovarajućim biotehnološkim procesima i bez genetičke kontaminacije. Rezultati rada dobijeni su na osnovu proučavanja podataka o poribljavanju ribolovnih voda koji su prikazani u Programima upravljanja ribarskim područjima na teritoriji Srbije. Kao primer uzeta su područja u zaštićenim oblastima kao što su: Nacionalni park “Kopaonik”, Park prirode “Stara planina” i Predeo izuzetnih odlika “Vlasina”. Dosadašnja praksa poribljavanja voda u Srbiji neadekvatnom ribljom mlađi doprinela je narušavanju prirodne ravnoteže i potiskivanju autohtonih vrsta riba što se odrazilo na potencijal ribolovnih voda, kako u biološkom tako i ekonomskom smislu. Do poboljšanja bi moglo da dođe ukoliko bi se u Srbiji proizvodila kvalitetna riblja mlađ u dovoljnim količinama u centrima za reprodukciju (reprocentrima). Reprocentri za razliku od postojećih ribnjačkih mrestilišta obezbeđuju riblju mlađ koja je adekvatna za ekosisteme koji se poribljavaju. Osnovne razlike između reprocentara i ribnjaka jesu što reprocentri uzgajaju ribu sa proverenim genetskim poreklom i što na odgovarajući način pripremaju riblju mlađ za život u prirodi

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES OF HIGH-SCHOOL BOYS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Abstract: Everyday activities of humans are greatly conditioned by their motor functioning, among other things. The modern lifestyle is determined by the high technology development which, through automation, makes life and work somehow easier to a man, on the one hand, and on the other he is denied physical activity and realization of his physical potential. The overall orientation of the research problem is focused on the physical activity of boys from the aspect of different levels of motor engagement and its impact on morphological characteristics and motor abilities with an intention to determine whether there are statistically significant differences between groups. In a sample of 67 students, aged 17-18 years (± 6 months) were divided into three sub-samples according to the level of physical activity: high (26), moderate (22) and low (19). The study carried out was of transversal character. The data obtained in the survey were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods. The results obtained indicate the existence of the statistically significant differences between groups in terms of motor skills, at the level of significance of p<0.05, while regarding morphological characteristics statistically significant differences between groups were not observed.Keywords: morphological characteristics, motor abilities, physical activity, older school age, boys

Treatment-induced neuroplasticity after anomia therapy in post-stroke aphasia : a systematic review of neuroimaging studies

We systematically reviewed the literature on neural changes following anomia treatment post-stroke. We conducted electronic searches of CINAHL, Cochrane Trials, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, MEDLINE-in-Process and PsycINFO databases; two independent raters assessed all abstracts and full texts. Accepted studies reported original data on adults with post-stroke aphasia, who received behavioural treatment for anomia, and magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI) pre- and post-treatment. Search results yielded 2481 citations; 33 studies were accepted. Most studies employed functional MRI and the quality of reporting neuroimaging methodology was variable, particularly for pre-processing steps and statistical analyses. The most methodologically robust data were synthesized, focusing on pre- versus post-treatment contrasts. Studies more commonly reported increases (versus decreases) in activation following naming therapy, primarily in the left supramarginal gyrus, and left/bilateral precunei. Our findings highlight the methodological heterogeneity across MRI studies, and the paucity of robust evidence demonstrating direct links between brain and behaviour in anomia rehabilitation

Cognitive Training to Enhance Aphasia Therapy (Co-TrEAT): A Feasibility Study

Persons with aphasia (PWA) often have deficits in cognitive domains such as working memory (WM), which are negatively correlated with recovery, and studies have targeted WM deficits in aphasia therapy. To our knowledge, however, no study has examined the efficacy of multi-modal training which includes both WM training and targeted language therapy. This pilot project examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of combining WM training and naming therapy to treat post-stroke PWA. Chronic PWA were randomly assigned to either the a) Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) and WM intervention (WMI) condition (i.e., a computerized adaptive dual n-back task), or b) PCA and active control condition (WMC). Participants received face-to-face PCA therapy 3 times/week for 5 weeks, and simultaneously engaged in WM training or the active control condition five times/week, independently at home. Six PWA were enrolled, 3 in each condition. Feasibility metrics were excellent for protocol compliance, retention rate and lack of adverse events. Recruitment was less successful, with insufficient participants for group analyses. Participants in the WMI (but not the WMC) condition demonstrated a clinically significant (i.e., &gt; 5 points) improvement on the Western Aphasia Battery- Aphasia Quotient (WAB-R AQ) and Boston Naming Test after therapy. Given the small sample size, the performance of two individuals, matched on age, education, naming accuracy pre-treatment, WAB-R AQ and WM abilities was compared. Participant WMI-3 demonstrated a notable increase in WM training performance over the course of therapy; WMC-2 was the matched control. After therapy, WMI-3's naming accuracy for the treated words improved from 30 to 90% (compared to 30–50% for WMC-2) with a 7-point WAB-R AQ increase (compared to 3 for WMC-2). Improvements were also found for WMI-3 but not for WMC-2 on ratings of communicative effectiveness, confidence and some conversation parameters in discourse. This feasibility study demonstrated excellent results for most aspects of Co-TrEAT. Recruitment rate, hampered by limited resources, must be addressed in future trials; remotely delivered aphasia therapy may be a possible solution. Although no firm conclusions can be drawn, the case studies suggest that WM training has the potential to improve language and communication outcomes when combined with aphasia therapy

Predictors of Post-stroke Aphasia Recovery

In order to elucidate the critical factors that bring about treatment-induced language improvements, researchers have investigated many predictors of aphasia recovery; however, the evidence is often mixed. The mechanisms underlying differential responses to therapy have yet to be delineated. In this dissertation, it was hypothesized that factors which stimulate access to- and induce (re)learning of linguistic content may hold important predictive value. Chapter 1 is a review of existing research on three such factors, i) responsiveness to cues, ii) during-treatment improvement with repeated practice of the treatment protocol, and iii) executive control (EC). Chapter 2 presents treatment data from ten individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia, who received a structured, phonological therapy for anomia. Group analyses revealed significant short- and long-term treatment gains and generalization. Computational modelling of speech error production pre- to post-treatment suggests that generalization was mediated by a strengthening of lexical-phonological connections. Individual treatment outcomes additionally demonstrated differential response to treatment among participants. The predictors of these outcomes were subsequently examined. Responsiveness to cues emerged as a significant predictor of overall naming improvements immediately post-treatment, while early improvement in therapy was predictive of generalization at follow-up. In Chapter 3, current evidence on the predictive value of EC in aphasia treatment outcomes was systematically reviewed. The studies reviewed (N =15) were heterogeneous with respect to the treatment approaches taken, and the EC tasks used. In addition, EC was poorly defined; EC task selection was broad and often lacking theoretical rationale. Nevertheless, EC abilities emerged as important indicators of treatment outcomes, especially in studies using specific EC tasks and structured treatment approaches. In Chapter 4, the predictive value of EC on treatment outcomes was investigated in the same sample of ten individuals from Chapter 2. Addressing some of the limitations identified in the existing literature, EC was defined and measured based on a theoretical framework and using a large battery of specific tasks. EC emerged as a robust predictor of treatment maintenance, suggesting a critical role for EC in encoding and consolidating treatment-related (re)learning. In Chapter 5 these findings are summarized and their broader implications for aphasia rehabilitation are discussed.Ph.D

Relationship between epistemological beliefs and motivational orientation among high school students

Relationship between epistemological beliefs and motivational orientation of high school students was studied and their relationship with school majoring, GPA and gender. To estimate epistemological beliefs and motivational orientation Schommer's Epistemological Questionnaire (EQ) and Work Preference Inventory (WPI) were used. Through factor analysis of EQ 5 factors were extracted, that differ from those Schommer singled out. Negative correlation between naive epistemological beliefs on one side, and intrinsic (-0.327, p lt 0.01) and general motivation (-0.247, p lt 0.01) on the other, was determined. Students majoring in social sciences have more mature epistemological beliefs (F=11.278, df=1, p lt 0.01. Boys have more mature epistemological beliefs than girls only on factor Avoiding relating, ambiguity and dependence on authority (F=16.899, df=1, p lt 0.01). Correlation between epistemological beliefs and GPA was not determined. Students majoring in social sciences have higher level of motivation (F=6.626, df=1, p lt 0.05). Girls are more motivated by enjoying in what they are doing (F=6.261, df=1, p lt 0.05)

Baseline executive control ability and its relationship to language therapy improvements in post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation on April 19th, 2017, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09602011.2017.1307768Purpose: To review current evidence on the relationship between executive control (EC) and post-treatment language gains in adults with post-stroke aphasia. Method: Electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Trials, Embase, MEDLINE, MEDLINE-in-Process and PsycINFO) were systematically searched (year 2000 – present). Abstracts and full-text articles were reviewed by two independent raters against pre-specified criteria: original research with N > 2; at least 90% adults with stroke, all undergoing treatment for acquired aphasia; pre-treatment EC abilities were compared to language gains post-treatment across studies. Critical appraisal was conducted using the Cochrane group and Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) methods. Data were extracted and summarised descriptively. Results: Search results yielded 2272 unique citations; ultimately 15 studies were accepted for review. Both pre-treatment EC and language abilities appear to be important indicators of treatment success, especially in moderate-severe aphasia. This relationship emerged when EC was measured using specific (e.g., divided attention), as opposed to broad (e.g., reasoning) tasks, and primarily when naming therapy was administered; intensive constraint-induced therapy did not correlate with treatment success. Conclusions: EC is a promising prognostic variable regarding language recovery, but further research is required using a-priori declared theoretical EC models, along with properly powered samples, standardised EC tasks and treatment protocols.This research was supported by a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (#NA7015) grant to Elizabeth Rochon and a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery award to Tijana Simic. Rosemary Martino received support from her Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Swallowing Disorders

A Usability Study of Internet-Based Therapy for Naming Deficits in Aphasia

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the usability of delivering the Phonological Components Analysis treatment for anomia (Leonard, Rochon, & Laird, 2008) remotely via the Internet to individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia. A secondary aim was to probe the experiences and satisfaction of clinicians in administering treatment at a distance. Method: Six individuals with mild–moderate aphasia and 2 trained clinicians participated in this usability study. Participants and clinicians underwent approximately 6 hr of treatment under observation by an independent observer. The usability characteristics of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction were assessed. Results: Individuals with aphasia used the Internet-based Phonological Components Analysis therapy successfully, demonstrating independence and very few errors in completing online tasks. Overall, participant satisfaction was high, despite occasional difficulties with technical aspects of the system. Clinicians found the application easy to use but raised concerns about the participant–clinician interaction, perceiving rapport-building and communicating to be more difficult online than face-to-face. Conclusions: It is important to consider usability and the clinician's perspective in developing telepractice applications in speech-language pathology. Future directions include assessing the efficacy of remote treatment and collecting a larger sample of clinician data.This research was supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery

The role of executive control in post-stroke aphasia treatment

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation on May 10th, 2019, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09602011.2019.1611607Executive control (EC) ability is increasingly emerging as an important predictor of post-stroke aphasia recovery. This study examined whether EC predicted immediate treatment gains, treatment maintenance and generalization after naming therapy in ten adults with mild to severe chronic post-stroke aphasia. Performance on multiple EC tasks allowed for the creation of composite scores for common EC, and the EC processes of shifting, inhibition and working memory (WM) updating. Participants were treated three times a week for five weeks with a phonological naming therapy; difference scores in naming accuracy of treated and untreated words (assessed pre, post, four- and eight-weeks after therapy) served as the primary outcome measures. Results from simple and multiple linear regressions indicate that individuals with better shifting and WM updating abilities demonstrated better maintenance of treated words at four-week follow-up, and those with better common EC demonstrated better maintenance of treated words at both four- and eight-week follow-ups. Better shifting ability also predicted better generalization to untreated words post-therapy. Measures of EC were not indicative of improvements on treated words immediately post-treatment, nor of generalization to untreated words at follow-up. Findings suggest that immediate treatment gains, maintenance and generalization may be supported by different underlying mechanisms.This work was supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada [grant #7308, #7015; awarded to E. Rochon and C. Leonard], and by the HSF Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery (CPSR) [scholarship awarded to T. Simic]