PRSEUS Development for the Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

NASA has created the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project to explore and document the feasibility, benefits and technical risk of advanced vehicle configurations and enabling technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. A critical aspect of this pursuit is the development of a lighter, more robust airframe that will enable the introduction of unconventional aircraft configurations that have higher lift to drag ratios, reduced drag, and lower community noise. The primary structural concept being developed for the Hybrid Wing Body aircraft design under the ERA project in the Airframe Technology element is the PRSEUS concept. This paper describes how researchers at NASA and Boeing are working together to develop fundamental PRSEUS technologies that could someday be implemented on a transport size HWB airplane design

PRSEUS Structural Concept Development

A lighter, more robust airframe is one of the key technological advancements necessary for the successful launch of any large next-generation transport aircraft. Such a premise dictates that considerable improvements beyond current state-of-the-art aluminum structures is needed, and that improvements of this magnitude will require an extensive use of composite materials that are not only lightweight, but also economical to produce. To address this challenge, researchers at NASA and The Boeing Company are developing a novel structural concept called the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) under the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project. It is an integrally stiffened panel concept that is stitched together and designed to maintain residual load-carrying capabilities under a variety of damage scenarios. In addition to improved structural performance, an important facet of this unique arrangement of stitched carbon fibers is its innovative manufacturing method that has the potential to lower fabrication costs by eliminating fasteners and autoclave cures. The rationale and development status for this new approach forms the basis of the work described in this paper. The test specimens described herein were fabricated, or are currently being fabricated, by The Boeing Company, while the structural analyses and testing tasks are being performed by NASA and Boeing personnel

More slices, less truth: effects of different test-set design strategies for magnetic resonance image classification

Aim To assess the effects of different test-set design strategies for magnetic resonance (MR) image classification using deep learning. Methods Error rates in 10 experimental settings were assessed. The performance of pretrained models and data augmentation were examined as possible contributing factors. Results Error rates in experimental settings using MR images of different patients for training and test sets were ten times higher than those in experimental settings using MR images of the same patients (four disease groups with whole-chest images, 46.80% vs 2.06%; four disease groups without whole-chest images, 49.09% vs 1.29%; sex classification with whole-chest images, 16.02% vs 0.96%; and sex classification without whole-chest images, 23.56% vs 0.30%). Error rates were higher when data augmentation was applied to settings that used MR images of different patients for training and test sets. Conclusion When deep learning is applied to MR image classification, training and test sets should consist of MR images of different patients. Models built on training and test sets consisting of images of the same patients yield optimistic error rates and lead to wrong conclusions. MR images of neighboring slices are so similar that they cause data leakage effect

Status of Advanced Stitched Unitized Composite Aircraft Structures

NASA has created the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project to explore and document the feasibility, benefits and technical risk of advanced vehicle configurations and enabling technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. A critical aspect of this pursuit is the development of a lighter, more robust airframe that will enable the introduction of unconventional aircraft configurations that have higher lift-to-drag ratios, reduced drag, and lower community noise levels. The primary structural concept being developed under the ERA project in the Airframe Technology element is the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) concept. This paper describes how researchers at NASA and The Boeing Company are working together to develop fundamental PRSEUS technologies that could someday be implemented on a transport size aircraft with high aspect ratio wings or unconventional shapes such as a hybrid wing body airplane design

Establishing association between mediterranean diet and acute coronary syndrome risk factors using "MedDiet" score

Uvod: Kardiovaskularne bolesti predstavljaju vodeći uzrok obolevanja i umiranja savremenog čoveka i vodeći su javno-zdravstveni problem u svetu i kod nas. Brojna istraživanja sugerišu da se mediteranski način ishrane povezuje sa smanjenjem rizika za nastanak i razvoj kardiovaskularnih bolesti i drugih masovnih nezaraznih bolesti kao i smanjenjem stope ukupnog mortaliteta. Cilj istraživanja: Utvrditi stepen pridržavanja mediteranskom načinu ishrane kod obolelih od akutnog koronarnog sindroma i kod osoba sa utvrđenim rizikom za nastanak kardiovaskularnih bolesti, upotrebom validovanog skora mediteranske ishrane – MedDiet skora. Takođe, cilj istraživanja je bio da se utvrdi da li postoji značajna razlika u vrednostima biohemijskih i kliničkih faktora rizika za razvoj kardiovaskularnih bolesti između dve posmatrane grupe ispitanika, kao i da se odredi granična vrednost MedDiet skora između poželjnog i rizičnog načina ishrane za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma. Metod: Istraživanje je sprovedeno kao analitička studija preseka na uzorku od 294 ispitanika (146 žena i 148 muškaraca), starosti od 30 do 82 godine. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u vremenskom periodu od 07.02.2016. godine do 16.03.2017. godine. Prvu grupu činili su ispitanici kod kojih je  dijagnostikovan akutni koronarni sindrom, koji su hospitalizovani u Institutu za kardiovaskularne bolesti Vojvodine u Sremskoj Kamenici, dok su drugu grupu činili ispitanici kod kojih je utvrđeno prisustvo najmanje jednog faktora rizika za nastanak kardiovaskularnih bolesti, bez klinički manifestne koronarne bolesti, koji su se javili na pregled u Savetovalište za pravilnu ishranu, Instituta za javno zdravlje Vojvodine u Novom Sadu. Kod svih učesnika u studiji izvršena su: antropometrijska merenja, merenje arterijskog krvnog pritiska, odgovarajuće biohemijske analize, EKG i anketiranje upotrebom posebno pripremljenog upitnika, u čijem sastavu se nalazio i MedDiet skor – validovan skor system za procenu stepena zastupljenosti mediteranskog načina ishrane kod pojedinca. Rezultati istraživanja: Srednja vrednost MedDiet skora ispitanika bez akutnog koronarnog sindroma bila je 27,48±6,59, dok je srednja vrednost MedDiet skora ispitanika sa akutnim koronarnim sindromom bila 20,53±4,01. Razlika srednjih vrednosti MedDiet skora između dve grupe ispitanika bila je statistički značajna (p=0,029). Ispitivanjem prediktivnih vrednosti pojedinih varijabli utvrđeno je da su MedDiet skor i glikemija našte odlični markeri za akutni koronarni sindrom (AUROC=0,815, p22,5 ukazuju na smanjen rizik za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma. Multivarijantnom regresionom analizom pokazano je da na pojavu akutnog koronarnog sindroma utiču sledeći faktori rizika: godine starosti 1,063 (1,270-1,819), muški pol 4,071 (1,901-8,719), pušenje 3,067 (1,322-7,114), indeks telesne mase 0,902 (0,839-0,970), sistolni pritisak 1,020 (1,003-1,037), glikemija našte 1,520 (1,025-1,101) i MedDiet skor 0,783 (0,722-0,849). Zaključak: Akutni koronarni sindrom predstavlja značajan javno-zdravstveni problem odraslog stanovništva u Republici Srbiji na šta ukazuju visoke prevalencije u populaciji. Rezultati sprovedenog istraživanja pokazuju da je i diskretnim povećanjem unosa namirnica koje predstavljaju osnovu mediteranskog načina ishrane moguće postići značajne zdravstvene koristi. Ovi rezultati mogu predstavljati okvir za razvoj lokalnog skoring sistema ishrane prikladnog za nemediteransko područje, kao i modela za procenu rizika za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma u našoj populaciji.Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality of a modern society and are major public health problem in our country and also worldwide. Numerous studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases, as well as reduction in the overall mortality rate. Aim: To determine the degree of Mediterranean diet complience in subjects with acute coronary syndrome and subjects with an established risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, using validated Mediterranean diet score - MedDiet. Also, the aim of the study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the values of the  biochemical and clinical risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases between the two observed groups of subjects, and to determine the cut-off value of the MedDiet score between the favorable and unfavorable dietaty pattern for the development of acute coronary  syndrome. Method: The study was conducted as an analytical cross-sectional study with enrollment of 294 subjects (146 women and 148 men), 30 to 82 years of age. The research was conducted during the period from 02/07/2016 until 03/16/2017. The first group of subjects consisted of patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome who were hospitalized at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica. The second group was comprised of subjects with established at least one major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases but without clinically manifest coronary artery disease, who came to the medical examination of the Counseling Center for Proper Nutrition, Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. Among all participants in the study the following examinations were conducted: anthropometric measurements, arterial blood pressure measurements, appropriate biochemical analysis, ECG and surveys using a specially prepared questionnaire, which included MedDiet score - validated score system for assessing the degree of compliance with Mediterranean dietary pattern among subjects. Results of the study: The average value of the MedDiet score among subjects without acute coronary syndrome was 27.48 ± 6.59, while the average value of MedDiet score among subjects with acute coronary syndrome was 20.53 ± 4.01. The difference in MedDiet average values between the two groups of subjects was statistically significant (p = 0.029). By examining the predictive values of individual variables, it was shown that MedDiet score and fasting blood sugar were excellent markers for acute coronary syndrome (AUROC = 0.815, p 22.5 indicated reduced risk for the development of acute coronary syndrome. Multivariate regression analysis showed that acute coronary syndrome is affected by the following risk factors: age 1,063 (1,270-1,819), male gender 4,071 (1,901-8,719), smoking 3,067 (1,322-7,114), body mass index 0,902 (0.839-0.970 ), systolic blood pressure 1.020 (1.003-1.037), fasting blood sugar 1.520 (1.025-1.101) and MedDiet score 0.783 (0.722- 0.849). Conclusion: Acute coronary syndrome is a major public health problem in the adult population of the Republic of Serbia, as indicated by its high prevalence. The results of the conducted research show that discrete increase in food intakes of foods which represent the basis of the Mediterranean diet, can lead to significant health benefits. These results can represent a framework for the development of a local scoring system for a non-mediterranean area, and also for creation of risk assessment model for acute coronary syndrome in our population

Development of the PRSEUS Multi-Bay Pressure Box for a Hybrid Wing Body Vehicle

NASA has created the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project to explore and document the feasibility, benefits, and technical risk of advanced vehicle configurations and enabling technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. A critical aspect of this pursuit is the development of a lighter, more robust airframe that will enable the introduction of unconventional aircraft configurations that have higher lift-to-drag ratios, reduced drag, and lower community noise. Although such novel configurations like the Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) offer better aerodynamic performance as compared to traditional tube-and-wing aircraft, their blended wing shapes also pose significant new design challenges. Developing an improved structural concept that is capable of meeting the structural weight fraction allocated for these non-circular pressurized cabins is the primary obstacle in implementing large lifting-body designs. To address this challenge, researchers at NASA and The Boeing Company are working together to advance new structural concepts like the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS), which is an integrally stiffened panel design that is stitched together and designed to maintain residual load-carrying capabilities under a variety of damage scenarios. The large-scale multi-bay fuselage test article described in this paper is the final specimen in a building-block test program that was conceived to demonstrate the feasibility of meeting the structural weight goals established for the HWB pressure cabin

The Opinion of Parents Regarding the Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in an Educational Group

U današnje se vrijeme sve više susrećemo s pojmom inkluzije u svim životnim aspektima, a važnost uključivanja osoba s teškoćama u razvoju postaje sve zastupljenija tema u društvu. Poticanje inkluzije i integracije osoba s teškoćama u razvoju postaje važan dio svakodnevice s ciljem da se takvim osobama omogući lakše funkcioniranje u društvu te im se pruže jednake mogućnosti za normalan život. Primarne osobe u životu svakog djeteta su naravno njegovi roditelji koji mu zajedno s odgojiteljima omogućuju da kroz socijalizaciju s ostalom djecom stvori poglede i razmišljanja te stavove koji će ga u budućnosti učiniti kompetentnim sudionikom društva. Ustanove predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja prva su životna stepenica svakog djeteta te mjesto gdje i započinje sama ideja o inkluziji djece s teškoćama u razvoju. Kako bi inkluzija osoba s teškoćama u društvene redove bila još uspješnija, potrebno je djeci već u ranoj dobi usaditi važnost prihvaćanja različitosti te načine odnošenja prema istima. Uključivanje djece s teškoćama u razvoju u odgojnu skupinu ne tiče se samo djece koja ju pohađaju, već i njihovih roditelja koji svojim razmišljanjima i stavovima moraju biti podrška odgojitelju i cjelokupnoj inkluzivnoj praksi. Ovaj rad bavio se mišljenjima roditelja o uključivanju djeteta s teškoćama u odgojnu skupinu te njihovim stavovima o inkluziji koja se trenutno provodi u predškolskim ustanovama. Cilj je bio potvrditi pretpostavku da većina roditelja podupire inkluziju te samim time istražiti koliko su zapravo dobro roditelji informirani i upoznati sa samom inkluzivnom praksom. Provedeno je istraživanje među roditeljima djece triju predškolskih ustanova na području Međimurja. Istraživanje je uključivalo upitnik za roditelje koji se sastojao od ukupno 13 pitanja vezanih za njihovo viđenje uključivanja djeteta s teškoćama u odgojnu skupinu. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da većina roditelja podržava inkluziju te smatra da ona pozitivno utječe na razvoj ostale djece u svim segmentima.Nowadays, we are more and more confronted with the concept of inclusion in all aspects of life, and the importance of involving people with disabilities is becoming more and more represented in society. Encouraging inclusion and integration of people with developing disabilities is becoming an important part of everyday life allowing such people to easily operate in society and providing them with equal opportunities for a normal life. Primary people in the life of every child are, of course, his parents who, together with the educators, allow him to create views, thoughts and attitudes through socialization with other children that will make him a competent participant of society in the future. Institutions of preschool education are the first step in life of every child and the place where the idea of incorporating children with disabilities begins. In order for the inclusion of people with social disabilities to be even more successful, the children should, at an early age, adopt the importance of accepting the diversity and the way they relate to them. Involvement of children with developmental difficulties in an educational group does not only apply to children who attend it, but also to parents who have their own thinking and attitudes, to support the educator and the overall inclusive practice. This paper deals with parents' views on inclusion of children with disabilities in the educational group and their attitudes about inclusion currently taking place in preschool institutions. The aim was to confirm the assumption that most parents support inclusion, to investigate how well parents are informed and acquainted with the inclusive practice itself. Research was conducted among parents of children of three pre-school institutions in Međimurje area. The research included the questionnaire for parents, which is consisted of 13 questions related to their views on inclusion of children with disabilities in the educational group. Research findings have shown that most parents support inclusion and believe that it has a positive impact on the development of other children in all segments

Establishing association between mediterranean diet and acute coronary syndrome risk factors using "MedDiet" score

Uvod: Kardiovaskularne bolesti predstavljaju vodeći uzrok obolevanja i umiranja savremenog čoveka i vodeći su javno-zdravstveni problem u svetu i kod nas. Brojna istraživanja sugerišu da se mediteranski način ishrane povezuje sa smanjenjem rizika za nastanak i razvoj kardiovaskularnih bolesti i drugih masovnih nezaraznih bolesti kao i smanjenjem stope ukupnog mortaliteta. Cilj istraživanja: Utvrditi stepen pridržavanja mediteranskom načinu ishrane kod obolelih od akutnog koronarnog sindroma i kod osoba sa utvrđenim rizikom za nastanak kardiovaskularnih bolesti, upotrebom validovanog skora mediteranske ishrane – MedDiet skora. Takođe, cilj istraživanja je bio da se utvrdi da li postoji značajna razlika u vrednostima biohemijskih i kliničkih faktora rizika za razvoj kardiovaskularnih bolesti između dve posmatrane grupe ispitanika, kao i da se odredi granična vrednost MedDiet skora između poželjnog i rizičnog načina ishrane za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma. Metod: Istraživanje je sprovedeno kao analitička studija preseka na uzorku od 294 ispitanika (146 žena i 148 muškaraca), starosti od 30 do 82 godine. Istraživanje je sprovedeno u vremenskom periodu od 07.02.2016. godine do 16.03.2017. godine. Prvu grupu činili su ispitanici kod kojih je  dijagnostikovan akutni koronarni sindrom, koji su hospitalizovani u Institutu za kardiovaskularne bolesti Vojvodine u Sremskoj Kamenici, dok su drugu grupu činili ispitanici kod kojih je utvrđeno prisustvo najmanje jednog faktora rizika za nastanak kardiovaskularnih bolesti, bez klinički manifestne koronarne bolesti, koji su se javili na pregled u Savetovalište za pravilnu ishranu, Instituta za javno zdravlje Vojvodine u Novom Sadu. Kod svih učesnika u studiji izvršena su: antropometrijska merenja, merenje arterijskog krvnog pritiska, odgovarajuće biohemijske analize, EKG i anketiranje upotrebom posebno pripremljenog upitnika, u čijem sastavu se nalazio i MedDiet skor – validovan skor system za procenu stepena zastupljenosti mediteranskog načina ishrane kod pojedinca. Rezultati istraživanja: Srednja vrednost MedDiet skora ispitanika bez akutnog koronarnog sindroma bila je 27,48±6,59, dok je srednja vrednost MedDiet skora ispitanika sa akutnim koronarnim sindromom bila 20,53±4,01. Razlika srednjih vrednosti MedDiet skora između dve grupe ispitanika bila je statistički značajna (p=0,029). Ispitivanjem prediktivnih vrednosti pojedinih varijabli utvrđeno je da su MedDiet skor i glikemija našte odlični markeri za akutni koronarni sindrom (AUROC=0,815, p22,5 ukazuju na smanjen rizik za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma. Multivarijantnom regresionom analizom pokazano je da na pojavu akutnog koronarnog sindroma utiču sledeći faktori rizika: godine starosti 1,063 (1,270-1,819), muški pol 4,071 (1,901-8,719), pušenje 3,067 (1,322-7,114), indeks telesne mase 0,902 (0,839-0,970), sistolni pritisak 1,020 (1,003-1,037), glikemija našte 1,520 (1,025-1,101) i MedDiet skor 0,783 (0,722-0,849). Zaključak: Akutni koronarni sindrom predstavlja značajan javno-zdravstveni problem odraslog stanovništva u Republici Srbiji na šta ukazuju visoke prevalencije u populaciji. Rezultati sprovedenog istraživanja pokazuju da je i diskretnim povećanjem unosa namirnica koje predstavljaju osnovu mediteranskog načina ishrane moguće postići značajne zdravstvene koristi. Ovi rezultati mogu predstavljati okvir za razvoj lokalnog skoring sistema ishrane prikladnog za nemediteransko područje, kao i modela za procenu rizika za nastanak akutnog koronarnog sindroma u našoj populaciji.Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality of a modern society and are major public health problem in our country and also worldwide. Numerous studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases, as well as reduction in the overall mortality rate. Aim: To determine the degree of Mediterranean diet complience in subjects with acute coronary syndrome and subjects with an established risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, using validated Mediterranean diet score - MedDiet. Also, the aim of the study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the values of the  biochemical and clinical risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases between the two observed groups of subjects, and to determine the cut-off value of the MedDiet score between the favorable and unfavorable dietaty pattern for the development of acute coronary  syndrome. Method: The study was conducted as an analytical cross-sectional study with enrollment of 294 subjects (146 women and 148 men), 30 to 82 years of age. The research was conducted during the period from 02/07/2016 until 03/16/2017. The first group of subjects consisted of patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome who were hospitalized at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica. The second group was comprised of subjects with established at least one major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases but without clinically manifest coronary artery disease, who came to the medical examination of the Counseling Center for Proper Nutrition, Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. Among all participants in the study the following examinations were conducted: anthropometric measurements, arterial blood pressure measurements, appropriate biochemical analysis, ECG and surveys using a specially prepared questionnaire, which included MedDiet score - validated score system for assessing the degree of compliance with Mediterranean dietary pattern among subjects. Results of the study: The average value of the MedDiet score among subjects without acute coronary syndrome was 27.48 ± 6.59, while the average value of MedDiet score among subjects with acute coronary syndrome was 20.53 ± 4.01. The difference in MedDiet average values between the two groups of subjects was statistically significant (p = 0.029). By examining the predictive values of individual variables, it was shown that MedDiet score and fasting blood sugar were excellent markers for acute coronary syndrome (AUROC = 0.815, p 22.5 indicated reduced risk for the development of acute coronary syndrome. Multivariate regression analysis showed that acute coronary syndrome is affected by the following risk factors: age 1,063 (1,270-1,819), male gender 4,071 (1,901-8,719), smoking 3,067 (1,322-7,114), body mass index 0,902 (0.839-0.970 ), systolic blood pressure 1.020 (1.003-1.037), fasting blood sugar 1.520 (1.025-1.101) and MedDiet score 0.783 (0.722- 0.849). Conclusion: Acute coronary syndrome is a major public health problem in the adult population of the Republic of Serbia, as indicated by its high prevalence. The results of the conducted research show that discrete increase in food intakes of foods which represent the basis of the Mediterranean diet, can lead to significant health benefits. These results can represent a framework for the development of a local scoring system for a non-mediterranean area, and also for creation of risk assessment model for acute coronary syndrome in our population

Akutno bubrežno oštećenje nakon operacija na otvorenom srcu

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) is a major complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There are multiple diagnostic criteria for CS-AKI. Despite many new investigations available for improved AKI diagnostics, creatinine and urea remain the cornerstone of diagnostics in everyday clinical practice. There are three major pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to kidney injury, i.e. renal hypoperfusion, inflammation with oxidative stress, and use of nephrotoxic agents. Some risk factors have been identified that can be modified during the course of treatment (use of nephrotoxic agents, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, type of extracorporeal circulation, postoperative low cardiac output or hypotension). The aim of AKI prevention should always be to prevent aggravation of renal failure and, if possible, to avoid progression to renal replacement therapy, which in turn brings worse long-term outcomes.Akutno bubrežno oštećenje povezano s kardiokirurgijom (cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury, CS-AKI) je značajna komplikacija s visokim pobolom i smrtnošću. Postoji više dijagnostičkih kriterija za dijagnozu CS-AKI. Usprkos mnogim novim istraživanjima, kreatinin i ureja ostaju temelj dijagnostike. Glavni patofiziološki procesi koji doprinose bubrežnom oštećenju su bubrežna hipoperfuzija, upala uzrokovana oksidativnim stresom i bubrežno oštećenje uzrokovano upotrebom nefrotoksičnih sredstava. Tijekom terapije može se utjecati na nekoliko čimbenika rizika (upotreba nefrotoksičnih sredstava, trajanje kardiopulmonarne premosnice, tip izvantjelesne cirkulacije, smanjeni minutni volumen ili poslijeoperacijska hipotenzija). Cilj prevencije AKI je spriječiti progresiju bubrežnog oštećenja koje zahtijeva kompleksniju terapiju i donosi lošije dugoročne ishode

The Opinion of Parents Regarding the Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in an Educational Group

U današnje se vrijeme sve više susrećemo s pojmom inkluzije u svim životnim aspektima, a važnost uključivanja osoba s teškoćama u razvoju postaje sve zastupljenija tema u društvu. Poticanje inkluzije i integracije osoba s teškoćama u razvoju postaje važan dio svakodnevice s ciljem da se takvim osobama omogući lakše funkcioniranje u društvu te im se pruže jednake mogućnosti za normalan život. Primarne osobe u životu svakog djeteta su naravno njegovi roditelji koji mu zajedno s odgojiteljima omogućuju da kroz socijalizaciju s ostalom djecom stvori poglede i razmišljanja te stavove koji će ga u budućnosti učiniti kompetentnim sudionikom društva. Ustanove predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja prva su životna stepenica svakog djeteta te mjesto gdje i započinje sama ideja o inkluziji djece s teškoćama u razvoju. Kako bi inkluzija osoba s teškoćama u društvene redove bila još uspješnija, potrebno je djeci već u ranoj dobi usaditi važnost prihvaćanja različitosti te načine odnošenja prema istima. Uključivanje djece s teškoćama u razvoju u odgojnu skupinu ne tiče se samo djece koja ju pohađaju, već i njihovih roditelja koji svojim razmišljanjima i stavovima moraju biti podrška odgojitelju i cjelokupnoj inkluzivnoj praksi. Ovaj rad bavio se mišljenjima roditelja o uključivanju djeteta s teškoćama u odgojnu skupinu te njihovim stavovima o inkluziji koja se trenutno provodi u predškolskim ustanovama. Cilj je bio potvrditi pretpostavku da većina roditelja podupire inkluziju te samim time istražiti koliko su zapravo dobro roditelji informirani i upoznati sa samom inkluzivnom praksom. Provedeno je istraživanje među roditeljima djece triju predškolskih ustanova na području Međimurja. Istraživanje je uključivalo upitnik za roditelje koji se sastojao od ukupno 13 pitanja vezanih za njihovo viđenje uključivanja djeteta s teškoćama u odgojnu skupinu. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da većina roditelja podržava inkluziju te smatra da ona pozitivno utječe na razvoj ostale djece u svim segmentima.Nowadays, we are more and more confronted with the concept of inclusion in all aspects of life, and the importance of involving people with disabilities is becoming more and more represented in society. Encouraging inclusion and integration of people with developing disabilities is becoming an important part of everyday life allowing such people to easily operate in society and providing them with equal opportunities for a normal life. Primary people in the life of every child are, of course, his parents who, together with the educators, allow him to create views, thoughts and attitudes through socialization with other children that will make him a competent participant of society in the future. Institutions of preschool education are the first step in life of every child and the place where the idea of incorporating children with disabilities begins. In order for the inclusion of people with social disabilities to be even more successful, the children should, at an early age, adopt the importance of accepting the diversity and the way they relate to them. Involvement of children with developmental difficulties in an educational group does not only apply to children who attend it, but also to parents who have their own thinking and attitudes, to support the educator and the overall inclusive practice. This paper deals with parents' views on inclusion of children with disabilities in the educational group and their attitudes about inclusion currently taking place in preschool institutions. The aim was to confirm the assumption that most parents support inclusion, to investigate how well parents are informed and acquainted with the inclusive practice itself. Research was conducted among parents of children of three pre-school institutions in Međimurje area. The research included the questionnaire for parents, which is consisted of 13 questions related to their views on inclusion of children with disabilities in the educational group. Research findings have shown that most parents support inclusion and believe that it has a positive impact on the development of other children in all segments