E-teacher in Inclusive e-education for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

AbstractThe concepts of e-learning and e-teaching play important roles in educational technology applied in different educational contexts. E-learning technology can promote the inclusion of students with various disabilities in education. We considered roles of e-teacher which are useful in e-education of students with disabilities. Usefulness of assistive technology and e-learning technology are also considered (project OI179026). The examples of implementation of e-learning/e-teaching components in education of students with specific learning disabilities supported perspectives of inclusive e-education and importance of teachers’ competence of e-teaching in inclusive education

Intuicija i znanje nastavnika u prepoznavanju specifičnih smetnji u učenju

The aim of the study was to investigate primary school teachers’ proficiency in detecting the ability-achievement discrepancy as a landmark of possible specific developmental learning disabilities (SLD). Twenty-two teachers in five schools attempted to select, in accordance with their perception and out of a larger preliminary sample, those students whose school results revealed: (a) discrepancy between school achievement and general abilities (the group of purportedly disharmonic children, GPD) or (b) concordance between general abilities and achievement (the group of purportedly harmonic children, GPH). The children were tested by REVISK, while teachers re-assessed students’ reading, writing and arithmetic performance against a simple structured questionnaire based on demands of the approved elementary school program delineated by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia. Research results indicate that more than 60% of children originally qualified to GPH have actually shown significant discrepancy between targeted scholastic skills and (normal) general intelligence. The data suggested some association between students’ disparity in attainment and teachers’ attribution accuracy, while the only homogenous quantitative marker of misplaced children were decreased values on some of the REVISK Verbal subscale tests. This study has shown that teachers can use their professional knowledge to enhance their capability to detect children with specific learning disabilities. In absence of criterion-referenced tests of reading, writing and mathematics, a structured approach to the projected course of skill progress might support teachers’ confidence regarding likely SLD.U ovom istraživanju je ispitivana uspešnost nastavnika u opažanju diskrepance između sposobnosti i postignuća kao znaka specifičnih razvojnih smetnji u učenju (SSU). Dvadeset i dva nastavnika iz pet osnovnih škola su prema sopstvenom doživljaju izdvojili, iz većeg preliminarnog uzorka, učenike za koje su pretpostavili: (a) nesklad školskog postignuća i opšte sposobnosti (grupa sa pretpostavljenom diskrepancom, GPD) ili (b) harmoničnost sposobnosti i postignuća (GPH). Deca su ispitana REVISK-om, dok su nastavnici dodatno precizirali uspešnost ovih učenika u čitanju, pisanju i računanju jednostavnim strukturiranim upitnikom zasnovanim na zahtevima školskog plana i programa koje propisuje Ministarstvo prosvete Republike Srbije. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da više od 60% dece svrstane u GPH ispoljilo je diskrepancu između postignuća u ovladavanju ciljnim školskim veštinama i opšte inteligencije. Registrovana je povezanost između disharmonije unutar školskog postignuća deteta i ispravne procene diskrepance od strane nastavnika, a jedini homogeni kvantitativni marker pogrešnog svrstavanja u grupu su bile sniženi skorovi na delu suptestova Verbalne skale REVISK-a. Ovo istraživanje je pokazalo da u profesionalnom znanju nastavnika postoje oslonci koji bi im mogli olakšati prepoznavanje deteta sa SSU. Do usvajanja kriterijumskih testova čitanja, pisanja i računanja, strukturiran pristup postojećim zahtevima školskog programa bi mogao pomoći nastavnicima pri donošenju ovakvih procena

Relentless placoid chorioretinitis - A case report

© 2016, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction Relentless placoid chorioretinitis is an entity which belongs to the group of an atypical intermediate form of primary inflammatory choriocapillaropathies, resembling both acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy and serpiginous choroiditis, but the retinal distribution and clinical course are not the same. Because of this similarity this entity was termed AMPPiginous. This entity was first described by Jones et al. in 2000. The aim of our case report is to present a very specific case where the clinical course was progressive, with loss of vision in the affected eye. Case Outline A 31-year-old man, with no previous ophthalmic diseases, was hospitalized at the Clinic of Ophthalmology, Clinical Center Kragujevac, because of a reduction of vision in the right eye, and scotoma and metamorphopsia in the left eye. The clinical course of retinal lesions in the left eye resembled the changes observed in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy, and the right eye changes were between acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy and serpiginous choroiditis. The diagnosis of relentless placoid chorioretinitis was confirmed after clinical, laboratory, immunological, virological, and angiography examinations. Conclusion The progressive clinical course of the disease, complemented by multimodal imaging and extensive laboratory diagnostics, has led us to the diagnosis of relentless placoid chorioretinitis. The combined anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory therapy led to the stabilization of visual acuity of the left eye as opposed to the right, where there has been no recovery

Impact of economic policy on the management of competitiveness of the agriculture sector in Serbia

There is a tendency of increase and change in the structure of demand for the products from agricultural sector in the modern global environment. Such situation demands market orientation of agricultural producers, from business entities to individual agricultural holdings, in order to offer the appropriate response to the changes in the environment conditions and new market demands. The entrance and survival in the developed world market demand raising the competitiveness of agricultural sector which cannot be based on the low input prices alone (land, workforce), but the application of modern knowledge and innovation, that is, the synergistic effect of all the competition factors. For their part, the state and local governments should create an encouraging social and economic environment for agriculture and rural development, especially in undeveloped regions and areas of the Republic of Serbia. The undeniable agricultural potentials can significantly contribute to foreign trade balance improvement, public debt reduction, unemployment decrease and increase of the living standard of the population

UNSUCCESSFUL PRIMARY PCI FOR POSTPARTAL DISSECTION OF ALL THREE MAJOR CORONARY ARTERIES

Coronary artery dissection is rare but very dangerous condition which can result in myocardial infarction. It mostly occurs in young postpartum women. The left anterior descending artery is affected in 75% of cases and in some extremely rare cases dissection may include all three coronary arteries. Treatment guides are still not consistent. While some authors recommend medical treatment other recommend surgical one. Case report. We present a 36-year-old female patient who was admitted to our hospital with intermittent chest pain and dyspnea that occurred two hours before admission. After premedication with Aspirin 300 mg per os, Clopidogrel 300 mg per os and Enoxaparin 30 mg iv, the pain disappeared. Chest pain was repeated after five days. Coronary angiography revealed spiral dissection in medial segment of LAD. After PCI attempt, dissection progressed and ended fatal. Pathological finding was intimal dissection of the coronary arteries with loss of some parts of internal elastic lamina. It is interesting that in the literature there is no consistent opinion about therapeutic approach to SDCA and we hope that this case report will contribute to elucidating the problem

Shungite - a Russian mineral: possible application as a microwave absorber

The paper presents results of investigation of the influence of mechanical activation of shungite, a Russian natural mineral rich in silica and carbon, on its sintering behavior. The mechanical activation of the starting powder was performed in a high-energy ball mill in time intervals from 0 to 480 minutes. The phase composition of the starting mixtures and sintered samples was analyzed by the X-ray diffraction method. The scanning electron microscopy was performed in order to determine changes in the microstructure. Sintering was performed at various temperatures for 2 h, in an Ar and vacuum atmosphere. Dielectric properties of the sintered samples were measured in the frequency range from 1 to 500 MHz. The obtained results indicate that sintered shungite powder is a good candidate for applications as an absorber of electromagnetic waves in microwave engineering

Koncentracija magnezijuma u serumu i urinu kod bolesnika sa akutnim i hroničnim plućnim bolestima

In this study we determined magnesium concentration in serum and in 24-hour urine, at the start (To) and at the end of treatment (T1), in 56 patients with acute pulmonary disease (B1) and in 58 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - COPD (B2). In group B1 there was disbalance of Mg in serum in 14-25% patients at the start of treatment (To) which decreased significantly at the end of treatment (T1) and persisted in 4-7.1% patients (p lt 0.05). In group B2 distribution of normal, decreased and increased values of Mg in serum was similar in patients in period To and T1 (p > 0.05). In group B1, 9 (16.1%) patients had hypomagnesemia at the start of treatment (To), which was accompanied by increased concentration of Mg in 24-hour urine of only 4 (7.2%) patients. There is a possibility that there was extrarenal elimination of Mg in patients with acute pulmonary disease or there was some kind of transcellular distribution. In group B2 in period To, there was proportional ratio between hypomagnesemia (12-20.7% patients) and increased concentration of Mg in 24-hour urine (20 -34.5% patients). This could be because of renal loss. Simultaneous determination and follow up of magnesium in serum and in 24-hour urine can give us reliable information about homeostasis of this electrolyte in acute and chronic pulmonary diseases.U ovom radu određivana je koncentracija magnezijuma u serumu i u 24-urinu, na početku (To) i na kraju hospitalnog lečenja (T1) kod 56 bolesnika sa akutnim plućnim bolestima (B1) i kod 58 sa hroničnim plućnim bolestima (B2). U grupi B1 postojao je disbalans Mg u serumu kod 14-25% bolesnika na početku lečenja (To) koji se značajno smanjio na kraju lečenja (T1) i postojao je kod 4-7,1% bolesnika (p lt 0,05). U grupi B2 distribucija normalnih, snizenih i povišenih vrednosti Mg u serumu bila je slična u periodu To i T1 (p> 0,05). Hipomagnezemiju u grupi B1 imalo je 9 (16,1%) bolesnika na početku lečenja (To) što je bilo praćeno povećanom koncentracijom Mg u 24-časovnom urinu samo kod 4 (7,2%) bolesnika. Ovo je bilo moguće zbog ekstrarenalnog gubitka elektrolita ili je došlo do transcelularne preraspodele. U grupi B2 u periodu To postojao je proporcionalni odnos hipomagnezemije (12,0-20,7% bolesnika) sa povećanom koncentracijom Mg u 24-časovnom urinu (20,0-34,5% bolesnika). Ovo je bilo moguće zbog renalne eliminacije elektrolita. Istovremeno određivanje i praćenje magnezijuma u serumu i 24-časovnom urinu daje pouzdane informacije o homeostazi ovog elektrolita kod akutnih i hroničnih plućnih bolesti

Questionable reliability of homocysteine as the metabolic marker for folate and vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Uvod: Povišena koncentracija homocisteina (Hey) može predstavljati metabolički marker nedostatka folata i vitamina B12, značajnih problema javnog zdravlja. Bolesnici sa hroničnom opstruktivnom bolešću pluća (HOBP) skloni su nedostatku ovih vitamina usled različitih razloga. Prikazana studija procenjuje pouzdanost koncentracije Hcy kao prediktora nedostatka folata i vitamina B12 kod ovih bolesnika. Metode: Studija je sprovedena u grupi od 50 osoba obolelih od HOBP (28 muškaraca/22 žene, starosti (x±SD = 49,0±14,5) godina. Koncentracije Hcy, folata i vitamina B12 su određivane hemiluminiscentnim imunoodređivanjem na mikročesticama. Statistička analiza je uključila testove Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and x2, Spearman-ovu korelaciju i ROC analizu, uz nivo značajnosti od 0,05. Rezultati: Prosečne (SD) koncentracije folata i vitamina B-12 su iznosile 4,15 (2,16) pg/L i 465,6 (271,0) ng/L, pri čemu je samo kod vitamina B12 uočena korelacija sa nivoom Hcy (R =-0,510 (P=0,029)). Koncentracije vitamina se nisu razlikovale između polova, a starost je bila u korelaciji samo sa nivoom folata (R= 0,279 (P=0,047)). Incidenca nedostatka vitamina značajno se razlikovala (P=0,000 i P lt 0,000 za folat odn. vitamin B12) u zavisnosti od cut-off vrednosti u odnosu na koju je definisana (4,4; 6,6 i 8,0 pg/L - folat; 203 i 473 ng/L - vitamin B-12)-ROC analizom nije bilo moguće dokazati značaj hiperhomocisteinemije kao prediktora deficijencije. Zaključak: Pouzdanost koncentracije Hey kao markera nedostatka folata ili vitamina B12 kod bolesnika sa HOBP nije zadovoljavajuća, pa se deficijencija ovih vitamina ne može predvideti na osnovu pojave hiperhomocisteinemije.Background: An increased homocysteine (Hey) concentration may represent a metabolic marker of folate and vitamin Bi2 deficiency, both significant public health problems. For different reasons, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to these deficiencies. The study evaluates the reliability of Hey concentration in predicting folate or vitamin B12 deficiency in these patients. Methods: A group of 50 COPD patients (28 males/22 females, age (x±S D = 49.0±14.5) years was enrolled. A chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay was applied for homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 concentration. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and x2 tests, Spearman's correlation and ROC analysis were included in the statistical analysis, with the level of significance set at 0.05. Results: Average (SD) concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 were 4.15 (2.16) pg/L and 465.6 (271.0) ng/L, whereas only vitamin B12 correlated with the Hey level (P =-0.510 (R=0.029)). Gender related differences were not significant and only a borderline significant correlation between age and folate was confirmed (R = 0.279 (P=0.047)). The incidence of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency differed significantly (P=0.000 and PcO.OOO for folate and vitamin B12 respectively), depending on the cutoff used for classification (4.4, 6.6 and 8.0 pg/L - folate; 203 and 473 ng/L - vitamin B12)-ROC analyses failed to show any significance of hyperhomocysteinemia as a predictor of folate or vitamin B12 deficiency. Conclusion: Reliability of the Hey concentration as a biomarker of folate or vitamin B12 depletion in COPD patients is not satisfactory, so their deficiency cannot be predicted by the occurrence of HHcy

Polyphasic Characterization of Acidovorax citrulli Strains Originating from Serbia

Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), is an economically important pathogen of watermelon and related plant species worldwide. In the period 2014–2018, several outbreaks of BFB were observed in major watermelon production regions in Serbia. A total of 43 strains, isolated from symptomatic watermelon tissue, were analyzed by biochemical, pathogenic and molecular tests. Based on the phenotypic characteristics, PCR assay, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, all strains were identified as A. citrulli. A multilocus sequence analysis of the four housekeeping (adk, gyrB, pilT and gltA) and three virulence genes (Aave_1548, avrRx01 and luxR) revealed that studied A. citrulli strains represent the homogeneous population and they clustered together with group II reference strain AAC00-1. Strain affiliation to group II was confirmed by PCR based on the putative type III secretion effector gene and by duplex PCR test. High homogeneity of studied strains was also confirmed by BOX-PCR. Differences were observed for two strains in their pathogenicity as well as susceptibility to copper compounds. Moreover, six major watermelon varieties grown in Serbia showed high sensitivity to the pathogen, while cross inoculation assay revealed that the strains were able to infect other species within the Cucurbitaceae family

Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension

The diagnosis of sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension is a challenge, because there are signs and symptoms, such as dyspnea, dizziness, and chest pain that are nonspecific and may exist in both diseases. Right heart catheterization is the gold standard for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. However, this is an invasive procedure, so it is reserved for patients with a high probability of the presence of pulmonary hypertension. Current guidelines for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension recommend transthoracic echocardiography for the screening method. Adequate treatment of underlying diseases and comorbidities is important in order to prevent disease progression, disability, and shortened patient survival. Specific therapy for SAPH is not routinely recommended