In this article, we will discuss the case of fair and inclusive schools that are considerate of the specific and unique needs of their pupils and offer quality education for all. We will highlight ...the most important indicators of inclusive education and focus on research that confirms the importance of the teachers’ willingness to establish good interpersonal relationships with their pupils. In the empirical section, we will introduce the results of our qualitative study. Based on interviews conducted with 20 mothers and 20 primary school pupils in two Slovene Roma settlements, we explored how pupils and their mothers perceive teachers’ attitudes towards Roma children. Our findings were very promising, for they showed that the interviewed pupils and their mothers had a positive experience with the teachers and their pedagogical work with Roma children. However, we should not ignore the few cases that pointed to ethnic discrimination towards Roma pupils.
This article presents findings from an interpretive study that sought to understand the meanings and experiences of the mainstream nightclub culture from the perspective of young women. Specifically, ...how the young women's leisure experiences contested, negotiated, constructed and reconstructed feminine ideals and public displays of sexuality were examined as well as the gendered risks that they mitigate throughout this process. Seven young women, between the ages of 19 and 25, participated in the study. The findings call attention to the ways in which the young women created an alternate and desirable self through their appearance and the consumption of alcohol, how they sought male attention and the repercussions of double standards, and how they kept safe through the use of the buddy system and cautionary tales. Emphasis is placed on the highly contradictory nature of the young women's experiences as well as the significance of leisure, friendships, and gender relations.
•LGBTQ parents anticipated homophobia, yet found accepting youth sport communities.•LGBTQ parents’ faced heteronormative assumptions within community youth sport.•LGBTQ parents advocated for ...inclusive language and program design in community youth sport.•LGBTQ parents found youth sport organisations were receptive to calls for inclusion.
This interpretive study sought to critically examine lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) parents’ experiences of community organized youth sport. Using a constant comparative method of data analysis, the authors examined perspectives of participants from Australia, Canada, and the United States. Three emergent themes best reflected the parents’ experiences: (a) anticipating sexual stigma and finding accepting communities; (b) confronting assumptions of heterosexuality; and (c) educating but not flag waving. Emphasis is placed on the parents intersecting social identities and notions of privilege (e.g., socio-economic resources and the ability to live in socially progressive areas), and how it altered their experiences within the community youth sport context. The findings call attention to the responsibility of youth sport organisations to create a climate of social change through inclusive language, behaviours, and program design.
This review focuses on the role of oxidized sterols in three major gastrointestinal cancers (hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic, and colon cancer) and how the circadian clock affects the ...carcinogenesis by regulating the lipid metabolism and beyond. While each field of research (cancer, oxysterols, and circadian clock) is well-studied within their specialty, little is known about the intertwining mechanisms and how these influence the disease etiology in each cancer type. Oxysterols are involved in pathology of these cancers, but final conclusions about their protective or damaging effects are elusive, since the effect depends on the type of oxysterol, concentration, and the cell type. Oxysterol concentrations, the expression of key regulators liver X receptors (LXR), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and oxysterol-binding proteins (OSBP) family are modulated in tumors and plasma of cancer patients, exposing these proteins and selected oxysterols as new potential biomarkers and drug targets. Evidence about how cholesterol/oxysterol pathways are intertwined with circadian clock is building. Identified key contact points are different forms of retinoic acid receptor related orphan receptors (ROR) and LXRs. RORs and LXRs are both regulated by sterols/oxysterols and the circadian clock and in return also regulate the same pathways, representing a complex interplay between sterol metabolism and the clock. With this in mind, in addition to classical therapies to modulate cholesterol in gastrointestinal cancers, such as the statin therapy, the time is ripe also for therapies where time and duration of the drug application is taken as an important factor for successful therapies. The final goal is the personalized approach with chronotherapy for disease management and treatment in order to increase the positive drug effects.
Nitrates present one of the main groundwater contaminants in the world and in the Zagreb aquifer. In order to reduce nitrate concentrations in groundwater, it is necessary to spatially define main ...nitrogen sources and areas which have the highest risk of nitrate contamination. This paper presents a map of nitrate contamination risk in the area of the Zagreb aquifer. It was constructed based on nine different layers that include natural characteristics and anthropogenic pressures. For the construction of the Main map, which has been defined as the most representative one, 15 different variations have been tested. The Main map has shown that the urban part of the City of Zagreb, especially central and eastern parts, together with the area of Jakuševec landfill and marshalling station, present areas with the highest risk of nitrate contamination, which is consistent with the results of previous research.
The
group comprises numerous closely related species, including bioterrorism agent
, foodborne pathogen
, and biopesticide
Differentiating organisms capable of causing illness or death from those ...used in industry is essential for risk assessment and outbreak preparedness. However, current species definitions facilitate species-phenotype incongruences, particularly when horizontally acquired genes are responsible for a phenotype. Using all publicly available
group genomes (
= 2,231), we show that current species definitions lead to overlapping genomospecies clusters, in which 66.2% of genomes belong to multiple genomospecies at a conventional 95 average nucleotide identity (ANI) genomospecies threshold. A genomospecies threshold of ≈92.5 ANI is shown to reflect a natural gap in genome similarity for the
group, and medoid genomes identified at this threshold are shown to yield resolvable genomospecies clusters with minimal overlap (six of 2,231 genomes assigned to multiple genomospecies; 0.269%). We thus propose a nomenclatural framework for the
group which accounts for (i) genomospecies using resolvable genomospecies clusters obtained at ≈92.5 ANI, (ii) established lineages of medical importance using a formal collection of subspecies names, and (iii) heterogeneity of clinically and industrially important phenotypes using a formalized and extended collection of biovar terms. We anticipate that the proposed nomenclature will remain interpretable to clinicians, without sacrificing genomic species definitions, which can in turn aid in pathogen surveillance; early detection of emerging, high-risk genotypes; and outbreak preparedness.
Historical species definitions for many prokaryotes, including pathogens, have relied on phenotypic characteristics that are inconsistent with genome evolution. This scenario forces microbiologists and clinicians to face a tradeoff between taxonomic rigor and clinical interpretability. Using the
group as a model, a conceptual framework for the taxonomic delineation of prokaryotes which reconciles genomic definitions of species with clinically and industrially relevant phenotypes is presented. The nomenclatural framework outlined here serves as a model for genomics-based bacterial taxonomy that moves beyond arbitrarily set genomospecies thresholds while maintaining congruence with phenotypes and historically important species names.
AbstractThe unsaturated zone plays a crucial role in the hydrological cycle and is a key factor in modeling and understanding hydrological processes. It regulates water transfer from the land surface ...to the groundwater while providing protection, transfer, and attenuation of potential groundwater contaminants. This research presents the first results of continuous in situ monitoring of all soil horizons of the Eutric Cambisols and the remaining unsaturated zone of the Zagreb aquifer (Velika Gorica well field). The Zagreb aquifer is the main source of potable water for the inhabitants of the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, which is protected by the Republic of Croatia. Cross-correlation analysis and water stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O) were used to investigate whether there is a hydraulic connection between precipitation and groundwater, the approximate duration of percolation, and whether there are indicators that suggest the presence of preferential flow or processes such as water mixing and/or evaporation. The cross-correlation analysis showed and confirmed the assumption of the presence of preferential flow with average lag times ranging from 1.59 up to 3.63 h. The results also indicate that low organic matter content may contribute to higher lag times associated with precipitation infiltration. It was found that only high-intensity precipitation events allow effective infiltration, and that the amount of infiltration depends on the water content of the soil at the beginning of each precipitation event. The isotopic results showed that the isotopic composition of the soil water in the first three soil horizons follows the one of precipitation, while deuterium excess confirmed that the sampled water is mobile water and that an evaporation process is possible in the A horizon. The results also show that suction cups can be used to determine the isotopic signature of both bulk and mobile water, depending mainly on the granulometric composition of the material in which they are installed.
Practical ApplicationsIntensive and growing groundwater extraction in past decades now challenges humans to maintain the resource, especially in regions where climate is drying. Knowing which factor and to what extent drives the process of resource replenishment is the key to maintaining and securing the resource and thus sustainable water supply. Knowing what we can measure, and which methodologies we can use for processing the data we have measured, is of value to practitioners and water supply managers. An original combination of well-known methodologies (water stable isotopes analysis and cross-correlation analysis) as presented in this article suggests how can we process measured precipitation data in order to obtain the knowledge of the processes that drive resource replenishment. In addition, it suggests what kind of data we should measure and what kind of equipment we need for such a task.
The physicochemical properties of soil and the unsaturated zone can have a large influence on the infiltration of precipitation into an aquifer. Soil permeability presents soil property that can be ...very variable. The main objectives of this study were to estimate differences in soil permeability in two dominant types of soils—Fluvisols and Eutric Cambisols—in the area of the Zagreb aquifer and determine the relationship between the physicochemical properties and the permeability of the analyzed soils. For this purpose, the particle size distribution, soil water retention curves (SWRCs), hydraulic parameters, and chemical properties of soils (i.e., electrical conductivity (EC), pH, carbonate content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and total concentration of zinc (Zn)) from six soil profiles were observed. In general, the results show that Fluvisols have a smaller amount of clay and a higher amount of sand. Furthermore, particle size distribution indicates that Eutric Cambisols have smaller permeability and a slightly higher capacity for retention. In Eutric Cambisols, the percentages of clay, silt, and sand generally do not change with depth. On average, Fluvisols and Eutric Cambisols become impermeable when they reach different values of water content and effective saturation. All results suggest that Fluvisols generally have to desaturate more than Eutric Cambisols to become impermeable. The proportions of sand and Ks increases through the depth of all analyzed soils, while CEC, EC, and Zn decrease. The total Zn generally decrease with depth, which can be attributed to the aerodeposition in the surface horizons of the analyzed soils and their higher availability for binding/sorption elements. Generally, it can be seen that most Zn concentrations increase until 80 cm in depth, after which they decrease. This result indicates that, in these specific locations, the groundwater body is not under the influence of a potentially toxic metal, in this case Zn. Statistical analysis shows a strong correlation between Zn concentrations and some soil properties, such as soil texture and CEC. This may point to the prevalence of Zn retention. Furthermore, statistical results show that silt has a higher influence on the permeability of Eutric Cambisols than Fluvisols.
On the 29th of December 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Petrinja in the Croatian Sisak-Moslavina County experienced a strong earthquake, resulting in a severe disruption in mental health service ...delivery. Specialized care community mental health teams were introduced days within the event with the aim to bridge the gap in psychiatric care that was severely disturbed in the region affected by the earthquake. Through a case series of patients with SMI, we describe how care was quickly deployed and delivered after a natural disaster and during a pandemic resulting in their functional recovery. Community mental health teams have the potential to provide feasible, comprehensive, and accessible mental health services, and their continued implementation in the post-disaster period in Croatia could be beneficial for care management of people with severe mental illness.
Izhodišča: Na podlagi prehranske obravnave in postavljene diagnoze motnja prehranjenosti ali s prehranjenostjo povezane motnje lahko oblikujemo posamezniku prilagojeni načrt prehranskih ukrepov. Ta ...je nujen, da vzdržujemo ali izboljšamo posameznikovo prehranjenost, pripravijo in izvajajo pa ga bolnik, njegovi bližnji in večstrokovna skupina, ki deluje v okviru različnih organizacijskih oblik ukvarjanja s klinično prehrano. Metode: Skupina 42 slovenskih strokovnjakov iz 19 slovenskih zdravstvenih ustanov je oblikovala eksplicitni terminološki dogovor. Osnovnim pojmom s področja prehranske oskrbe in organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane smo določili slovenski termin in ustrezno terminološko definicijo, pri čemer smo izhajali tako iz strokovne literature področja kot iz jezikoslovne literature. Temelj oblikovanja terminologije so terminološke smernice Evropskega združenja za klinično prehrano in presnovo. Rezultati: V prispevku predstavljamo slovenske termine in terminološke definicije načrta prehranskih ukrepov, prehranske podpore in prehranske terapije. Opredelili smo tudi prehransko okolje, diete, paliativno prehrano in oblike hrane ter hranjenja v klinični prehrani. Opisali smo tudi možnosti za organizacijo prehranske oskrbe v zdravstvenih in negovalnih ustanovah. Zaključek: Poenoteno razumevanje osnovnih pojmov s področja prehranske terapije, prehranske podpore in organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane je nujno za uspešno sporazumevanje med strokovnjaki, poenoteno poučevanje in razvoj ter vključitev organizacijskih oblik klinične prehrane v zdravstveni sistem.