It is proposed that the multiple enhancer elements associated with locus control regions and super‐enhancers recruit RNA polymerase II and efficiently assemble elongation competent transcription complexes that are transferred to target genes by transcription termination and transient looping mechanisms. It is well established that transcription complexes are recruited not only to promoters but also to enhancers, where they generate enhancer RNAs. Transcription at enhancers is unstable and frequently aborted. Furthermore, the Integrator and WD‐domain containing protein 82 mediate transcription termination at (...) enhancers. Abortion and termination of transcription at the multiple enhancers of locus control regions and super‐enhancers provide a large pool of elongation competent transcription complexes. These are efficiently captured by strong basal promoter elements at target genes during transient looping interactions. -/- . (shrink)

The article focuses on issues relating to occupational exposures of researchers and lab workers, and exposures of bystanders such as health care workers and family members during HSR using nanomaterials. Such third-party exposures give rise to unique challenges relating to oversight as well as exposures to worker groups not previously studied. Given the current state of knowledge regarding health risks from such exposures, a more precautionary approach to oversight seems advisable.

Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing field in the academic as well as commercial arena. While some had predicted nanomedicine sales to reach $20.1 billion in 2011, the actual growth was much more rapid, with the global nanomedicine market being valued at $53 billion in 2009, and forecast to increase at an annual growth rate of 13.5% to reach more than $100 billion in 2014. In 2006, more than 130 nanotechnology-based drugs and delivery systems had entered preclinical, clinical, or commercial development. (...) The European Medicines Agency reviewed 18 marketing authorization applications for nanomedicines in 2010. In 2011, 22 drugs that had been approved by the FDA, and 87 Phase I and Phase II clinical trials were listed in the U.S. National Institutes of Health data base, www.clinicaltrials.gov. Although the fastest growing areas of nanomedicine are applications in medical imaging and diagnosis using contrast-enhancing agents, most nanomedicine research and commercialization is in the area of cancer drug therapy, including nano gold shells. (shrink)

UNESCO World Heritage sites are places of outstanding significance and often key sources of information that influence how people interact with the past today. The process of inscription on the UNESCO list is complicated and intersects with political and commercial controversies. But how well are these controversies known to the public? Wikipedia pages on these sites offer a unique dataset for insights into public understanding of heritage controversies. The unique technicity of Wikipedia, with its bot ecosystem and editing mechanics, shapes (...) how knowledge about cultural heritage is constructed and how controversies are negotiated and communicated. In this article, we investigate the patterns of production, consumption, and spatial and temporal distributions of Wikipedia pages for World Heritage cultural sites. We find that Wikipedia provides a distinctive context for investigating how people experience and relate to the past in the present. The agency of participants is highly constrained, but distinctive, behind-the-scenes expressions of cultural heritage activism are evident. Concerns about state-like actors, violence and destruction, deal-making, etc. in the World Heritage inscription process are present, but rare on Wikipedia’s World Heritage pages. Instead, hyper-local and process issues dominate controversies on Wikipedia. We describe how this kind of research, drawing on Big Data and data science methods, contributes to digital heritage studies and also reveals its limitations. (shrink)

On the life and works of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, 1888-1975, Indian philosopher and statesman.

Nanomedicine is yielding new and improved treatments and diagnostics for a range of diseases and disorders. Nanomedicine applications incorporate materials and components with nanoscale dimensions where novel physiochemical properties emerge as a result of size-dependent phenomena and high surface-to-mass ratio. Nanotherapeutics and in vivo nanodiagnostics are a subset of nanomedicine products that enter the human body. These include drugs, biological products, implantable medical devices, and combination products that are designed to function in the body in ways unachievable at larger scales. (...) Nanotherapeutics andin vivonanodiagnostics incorporate materials that are engineered at the nanoscale to express novel properties that are medicinally useful. These nanomedicine applications can also contain nanomaterials that are biologically active, producing interactions that depend on biological triggers. Examples include nanoscale formulations of insoluble drugs to improve bioavailability and pharmacokinetics, drugs encapsulated in hollow nanoparticles with the ability to target and cross cellular and tissue membranes and to release their payload at a specific time or location, imaging agents that demonstrate novel optical properties to aid in locating micrometastases, and antimicrobial and drug-eluting components or coatings of implantable medical devices such as stents. (shrink)

The OSHA system for oversight of chemicals in the workplace was evaluated to derive lessons for oversight of nanotechnology. Criteria relating to the development, attributes, evolution, and outcomes of the system were used for evaluation that was based upon quantitative expert elicitation and historical literature analysis. The oversight system had inadequate resources in terms of finances, expertise, and personnel, and insufficient incentive for compliance. The system showed a lack of flexibility in novel situations. There were minimal requirements on companies for (...) data on health and safety of their products. These factors have a strong influence on public confidence and health and safety. The oversight system also scored low on attributes such as public input, transparency, empirical basis, conflict of interest, and informed consent. The experts in our sample tend to believe that the current oversight system for chemicals in the workplace is neither adequate nor effective. It is very likely that the performance of the OSHA oversight system for nanomaterials will be equally inadequate. (shrink)

Nanotechnology is a collection of different technologies and approaches dealing with manipulating matter with dimensions on the nanometer scale. The growth of nanotechnology has been rapid in recent years and encompasses a range of industries including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, robotics, medicine, agriculture, electronics, national defense, fiber optics, and energy. Nanoparticles with shapes, morphologies, and chemical compositions engineered for specific functions and applications are now common. While estimates of the numbers of new types of nanoparticles being produced in academic and industrial labs (...) that combine these different characteristics are uncertain, it is likely that they run into the hundreds. (shrink)

Religious belief can complicate the usual management of seriously ill patients when the patient is a Jehovah’s Witness and the treatment is a blood transfusion. This narrative highlights critical points in a discussion of two cases wherein the process to promote an exercise of free will also becomes an exercise for the ethics consultant and healthcare team. Despite a medical care program’s carefully considered additions to an electronic healthcare record, additional conversation, investigation, preparation, and an open mind are required. Helping (...) conflicted family members and considering whether and in what context to contact the Jehovah’s Witness Hospital Liaison Committee complicates the approach. (shrink)

The emergence of nanotechnology, and specifically nanobiotechnology, raises major oversight challenges. In the United States, government, industry, and researchers are debating what oversight approaches are most appropriate. Among the federal agencies already embroiled in discussion of oversight approaches are the Food and Drug Administration , Environmental Protection Agency , Department of Agriculture , Occupational Safety and Health Administration , and National Institutes of Health . All can learn from assessment of the successes and failures of past oversight efforts aimed at (...) emerging technologies. This article reports on work funded by the National Science Foundation aimed at learning the lessons of past oversight efforts. The article offers insights that emerge from comparing five oversight case studies that examine oversight of genetically engineered organisms in the food supply, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals in the workplace, and gene therapy. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis, the authors present a new way of evaluating oversight. (shrink)

Liver transplantation (LT) activities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been curtailed in many countries. The impact of various policies restricting LT on outcomes of potential LT candidates is unclear. We studied all patients on the nationwide LT waitlists in Hong Kong and Singapore between January 2016 and May 2020. We used continuous time Markov chains to model the effects of different scenarios and varying durations of disruption on LT candidates.

The higher education sector was affected by this pandemic, managing enduring challenges since early 2020. Institutions of higher learning are prepared to address unsurmountable challenges to ensure that students are not deceived and are being given the proper nurture, coupled with adherence to syllabuses. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unscrupulous pressure on students of these institutions. The psychological waves are creating mammoth consequences, affecting the beneficiaries of the higher education system and their families. In recent years, with limited studies (...) on psychological impact among tertiary students on a cross-country basis, general self-efficacy, and the degree of coping strategies, we were motivated to investigate the degree of depression, anxiety, and stress, among this cohort of students encompassing the pre-university/Diploma, 1st–4th-year undergraduate, and postgraduate students from private universities in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Southern Africa, and China, representing the emerging economies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, followed by quantitative analysis. The objective of this study was to recognize whether there is a relationship between the psychological impact of DAS and the coping strategies adopted by the undergraduate students responding during the lockdown. The findings of this study revealed that with a sample size of 397, DAS lacked any severe impact on students across gender, country, household income, and level of education. DAS was established to be well managed with a coping strategy and self-efficacy established. This study resulted in a deeper understanding of DAS among undergraduates in emerging economies and their degree of coping behavior, providing a glimpse of the approach of millennials to handle DAS during the pandemic. (shrink)

Uporišta. O Markovićevim filozofskim rukopisima u arhivima HAZU ; O Hondlovu prigovoru Bazalinu tumačenju Spinozine filozofije -- Začetnik filozofije jezika u Hrvatskoj : uz knjigu Kruna Krstića Studije, rasprave, i članci ; Što je činjenica? O Krstićevu poimanju (znanstvene) objektivnosti ; Supek kao filozof ; Supekov odnos prema pojedinim pravcima u suvremenoj filozofiji ; Marijan Cipra : život, misao, radovi -- Hrvatska filozofija i hrvatski jezik. Rječnik hrvatskoga filozofskoga nazivlja ; Filozofija i hrvatski jezik : bibliografija ; Je li (...) suština nužna? O sustavnosti hrvatskoga filozofskoga nazivlja -- Nazivlje u Markovićevoj Etici -- Sutlićev odnos spram jezika -- László i filozofsko nazivlje. (shrink)

Jesu li stvari ovog svijeta nešto što je dano samoj misli? Jesu li stvari tako mišljene da budu spoznatljive, da budu objektivne manifestacije transcendentalno uvjetovanih moći? Zapadna filozofska tradicija prema Francoisu Laruellu pretpostavlja tu transcendentalnu konstituciju realnog. To je pretpostavka koja uzdiže samu filozofiju kao označenu primateljicu transcendentalnog dara. U našem članku o Laruellovom projektu želimo pokazati kako ta pretpostavka kontrolira čak i prividno radikalne kritike filozofske tradicije koje su se umnožile kao posljedice Nietzscheovog i Heideggerovog mišljenja. Zato učinkovita (...) kritika filozofije mora biti ne-filozofska. Ona prema Laruellu mora dokinuti pretpostavke da je drugotnost dana da bi bila spoznata, kao što mora dokinuti pretpostavku kako sama misao ima fundamentalno drugačiju strukturu. Ne-filozofija počinje ne sa razlikom, ne sa subjektom i objektom, nego sa pozicioniranjem Jednog. Od te početne aksiomatske točke, ne-filozofija uzima kao vlastitu materijalnu filozofiju ponovno mišljenje u odnosu na Jedno. Ne-filozofski projekt ne započinje kao što to čini postmoderna filozofija s naviještanjem kraja filozofije. On uzima filozofiju kao prigodu da postavi pitanje drugačije vrste mišljenja – onog koji, umjesto da se diferencirajći odnosi prema svijetu koji pretpostavlja, potvrđuje kako je ultimativno u tijelu s Jednim kojeg nikad ne možemo znati. (shrink)

U ovom radu pokušavam razviti ono što nazivam 'analitičkom, farabijanskom' koncepcijom orijentalizma. Motivacija za ovu koncepciju je to što nam pomaže sa zadatkom––koji je identificirao Wael B. Hallaq––da idemo dalje od 'rudimentarnih političkih slogana' vezanih za teoriju orijentalizma i umjesto toga da identificiramo orijentalističku 'psihoepistemičku patologiju' ( Hallaq 2018, 4). Da bismo to učinili ispravno, prema Hallaqu, moramo pronaći metodološku alternativu onoj koja orijentalistički diskurs čini mogućim. Hallaq identificira temeljni problem kao predanost sekularnom humanizmu, a rješenje njegovo napuštanje. Međutim, (...) mislim da je problem dublji, koji se grubo može izraziti na sljedeći način: kako možemo prihvatiti sveprisutnost ideološkog utjecaja bez napuštanja ideje da naše teorije ciljaju (i do neke mjere uspijevaju) predstavljati objektivnu stvarnost––tako da možemo reći da je orijentalizam stvaran fenomen, a ne samo nešto za što slučajno vjerujemo da je fenomen. Koncipiranje orijentalizma unutar farabijanske epistemologije i korištenje analitičkih alata za njegovo razumijevanje (za koje tvrdim da predstavlja jedinstvenu i osebujnu vrstu falibilizma) napreduje tamo gdje druge koncepcije ne uspijevaju. (shrink)

Cet article repose sur une recherche en psychopathologie clinique étudiant la construction du maternel dans les situations de grande prématurité. Les chercheurs, psychologues cliniciennes référées à la psychanalyse, ont effectué une analyse discursive et thématique d’entretiens de recherche réalisés auprès de cinq femmes vivant en couple ayant accouché de leur premier enfant entre 27 et 29 semaines d’aménorrhées. Les résultats indiquent que certaines mères ont un vécu traumatique de la naissance qui empêche la poursuite des rêveries maternelles et entrave l’investissement (...) libidinal du bébé, fondateur dans le nouage des liens précoces. Malgré l’événement de corps et la vision de l’enfant prématuré, d’autres parviennent à maintenir un regard « auréolé ». La recherche montre aussi comment la création par le discours médical de la catégorie des « prémas » offrirait un cadre symbolique aux parents pour penser ces bébés nés trop tôt et relancerait leur capacité de rêverie. (shrink)

Cet article repose sur une recherche en psychopathologie clinique étudiant la construction du maternel dans les situations de grande prématurité. Les chercheurs, psychologues cliniciennes référées à la psychanalyse, ont effectué une analyse discursive et thématique d’entretiens de recherche réalisés auprès de cinq femmes vivant en couple ayant accouché de leur premier enfant entre 27 et 29 semaines d’aménorrhées. Les résultats indiquent que certaines mères ont un vécu traumatique de la naissance qui empêche la poursuite des rêveries maternelles et entrave l’investissement (...) libidinal du bébé, fondateur dans le nouage des liens précoces. Malgré l’événement de corps et la vision de l’enfant prématuré, d’autres parviennent à maintenir un regard « auréolé ». La recherche montre aussi comment la création par le discours médical de la catégorie des « prémas » offrirait un cadre symbolique aux parents pour penser ces bébés nés trop tôt et relancerait leur capacité de rêverie. (shrink)

U članku se kroz višedisciplinarni pristup kognitivnih znanosti proučava osobito ljudsko iskustvo povezano s religioznim doživljajem stvarnosti, koje se u tradiciji discipline povijesti religija naziva ‘iskustvo svetoga’. U skladu s teorijom emergencije, predlaže se definicija iskustva svetoga kao stanja svijesti sa subjektivnom kvalitetom integracije, specifičnim neurološkim korelatom i funkcionalnim obilježjima. Emergentne teorije svijesti pružaju ontološki ujednačeno tumačenje iskustava svetoga nudeći »naravna« objašnjenja bez odricanja njihove fenomenološke subjektivnosti. Prijenos iskustva svetoga iz unitarnoga, svojevrsnog intencionalno neobojenoga stanja, u izrecivi jezični kôd intencionalno (...) relevantnih pojmova sa sveprožimajućim utjecajima na opojmljivanje svijeta razmatra se pomoću kognitivne jezične teorije u tradiciji Johnsona i Lakoffa. Sposobnost izricanja značenja iskustva svetoga sagledava se kao emergentno svojstvo pojmovnog procesuiranja metaforičkoga razmišljanja uvjetovanoga utjelovljenošću uma i kulturalnim odrednicama. Predloženi pristup omogućuje tumačenje nastanka složenih mitoloških i kulturalnih modela temeljem iskustva svetoga, ali i ukazuje na njegovu kulturalnu neuvjetovanost zadanu nediskurzivnom naravi samog iskustva.In this article a multidisciplinary approach of cognitive sciences is employed for the analysis of a special category of human experience related to the religious understanding of the world, termed according to the History of Religion as the ‘experience of sacred’. The experience of sacred is defined as the state of consciousness with a subjective quality of integration, a specific neural correlate and functional features. Emergentist theory of consciousness provides ontologically consistent perspective offering a “natural” explanation for this type of experience without denying its subjective phenomenology. The linguistic expression of the experience is examined in the light of Johnson’s and Lakoff’s cognitive linguistic theory. The linguistic competence enabling the expression of the sacred experience is defined as the emergent property of conceptual processing of metaphorical thinking shaped by the embodied mind. This approach explains the seminal role of the experience of sacred in the formation of complex mythological and cultural models, but also points to its non discursive nature. (shrink)

Procjenjuje se da trenutačno u Republici Hrvatskoj tijekom godine oko 12 000 djece ima jednog ili oba roditelja u zatvoru, dok je broj djece bivših zatvorenika značajno veći. Djeca zatvorenika svakodnevno se susreću sa stigmatizacijom zbog roditeljskog izvršavanja kazne. S obzirom na to da su odgojno-obrazovne ustanove mjesta koja mogu imati protektivnu ulogu, provedeno je istraživanje o stavovima pedagoških profesionalaca prema djeci zatvorenika. Rezultati pokazuju kako kod pedagoških profesionalaca postoji tendencija biološkom determinizmu, uz neujednačenost u strukturama afekata, ponašanja i (...) kognicije. Struktura stavova nije povezana s radnim iskustvom i razinom formalnog obrazovanja pedagoških profesionalaca. Ipak, u subskali kognicije pokazalo se da nešto pozitivnije stavove imaju pedagoški profesionalci koji su prethodno imali iskustva s djecom zatvorenika. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na potrebu i vrijednost dodatnih edukacija za pedagoške profesionalce na temu rada s djecom zatvorenika, kao i jačanje socijalne mreže podrške djeci i obiteljima koja bi uključivala vršnjačku podršku, zagovaračke kampanje za širu javnost, intersektorsku suradnju te participativna istraživanja s djecom, obiteljima i zatvorenicima. It is estimated that in Croatia around 12 000 children have one or both parents in prison, while the number of children of ex-prisoners is even higher. Children of prisoners are stigmatized on daily basis, due to parental incarceration. Regarding the fact that educational institutions can be a safe-places with strong protective role, the survey among pedagogical professionals towards children of prisoners was conducted. Results showed that pedagogical professionals nurture biological determinism, with inconsistency in structural aspects of affects, behavior, and cognition. The structure of the attitudes is not connected with professionals’ working experience, and their formal level of education. However, in the cognition subscale, more positive attitudes have pedagogical professionals with previous experiences with children of prisoners. Obtained results reveal the need for further education about children of prisoners, as well as the need for strengthening the social support for children and families, including peer support, advocacy aimed at broader society, intersectoral cooperation, and participative research engaging the children, families and prisoners. (shrink)

Glazbenim aktivnostima u vrtiću pripada značajna uloga, s obzirom da bavljenje takvim aktivnostima pridonosi razvoju glazbenih sposobnosti, ali i intelektualnom, socijalnom, emocionalnom i tjelesnom razvoju djeteta. U radu su istraženi stavovi odgojitelja predškolske djece prema glazbenim aktivnostima u vrtiću te samoprocjena kompetentnosti za njihovu realizaciju. Rezultati potvrđuju da slušanje glazbe predstavlja značajnu aktivnost slobodnog vremena odgojitelja predškolske djece. Potvrđeno je da odgojitelji kojima se sviđa klasična glazba imaju pozitivnije stavove prema glazbenim aktivnostima u vrtiću. Nije uočena povezanost odlazaka (...) na koncerte klasične glazbe, pohađanja dodatne glazbene poduke, pjevanja u zboru ili klapi te godina radnoga staža sa stavovima prema glazbenim aktivnostima. Rezultati istraživanja ne potvrđuju ni povezanost godina radnoga staža sa samoprocjenom kompetencije za realizaciju glazbenih aktivnosti. I, konačno, većina odgojitelja zadovoljna je opremljenošću vrtića instrumentima za djecu te računalima i projektorima, ali ne i instrumentima za odgojitelje. Musical activities in kindergarten play an important role, especially since engaging in such activities contributes to the development of musical capabilities and intellectual, social, emotional, and physical child development. This research examines the opinions of kindergarten teachers towards musical activities, as well as a self-assessment of their competencies to perform them. The results affirm that listening to music is a significant free time activity for kindergarten teachers. It has also been affirmed that teachers who enjoy classical music have more positive opinions towards musical activities in kindergarten. No connection was noted between opinions towards musical activities and attending classical concerts, additional musical education, singing in choirs or traditional a cappella groups, or years of work experience. The results of this research also did not affirm a connection between years of work experience and self-assessments of competencies to perform musical activities. Finally, the majority of teachers were satisfied with their schools’ stock of children’s instruments, computers, and projectors, but not with instruments for teachers. (shrink)

It is estimated that in Croatia around 12 000 children have one or both parents in prison, while the number of children of ex-prisoners is even higher. Children of prisoners are stigmatized on daily basis, due to parental incarceration. Regarding the fact that educational institutions can be a safe-places with strong protective role, the survey among pedagogical professionals towards children of prisoners was conducted. Results showed that pedagogical professionals nurture biological determinism, with inconsistency in structural aspects of affects, behavior, and (...) cognition. The structure of the attitudes is not connected with professionals’ working experience, and their formal level of education. However, in the cognition subscale, more positive attitudes have pedagogical professionals with previous experiences with children of prisoners. Obtained results reveal the need for further education about children of prisoners, as well as the need for strengthening the social support for children and families, including peer support, advocacy aimed at broader society, intersectoral cooperation, and participative research engaging the children, families and prisoners. (shrink)

U obraćenju i životu svetog Augustina veliku je ulogu odigrala ljubav prema filozofiji. Toliko je značajan njezin utjecaj na njegov životni tijek da se čak govorilo o dva obraćenja: jedno na filozofiju, drugo na kršćanstvo. Ako bi bilo pretjerano govoriti o dva obraćenja, jer se radilo o istom procesu u kojem je filozofija odigrala značajnu ulogu u Augustinovu boljem razumijevanju kršćanstva, ipak se ne može zanijekati važnost filozofije u njegovoj intelektualnoj formaciji. Ako mu je kršćanstvo predstavljalo puninu, onda mu (...) je filozofija predstavljala značajnu dionicu puta, pridonoseći jasnijem poimanju Boga, te razumijevanju mnogih filozofskih pitanja koja do tada nije shvaćao .Iz Augustinova se iskustva vidi da filozofija s jedne strane podrazumijeva, a s druge budi želju za znanjem i povećava žeđ za spoznajom . No, ne bilo kakvom, već spoznajom istine, radi čega Augustin polemizira protiv akademika onoga vremena koji su pali u skepticizam. Svaka spoznata istina, po Augustinu, čovjeka upućuje na okretanje prema vlastitoj nutrini, te na hod prema Istini, koja, osim što se objavljuje kroz proces spoznaje kao Logos, pomaže čovjeku objavljujući se utjelovljenjem, čime postaje vidljiva i opipljiva. Upravo filozofija u prvom trenutku daje Augustinu najsnažniji poticaj da se podigne iz blata nemorala, površnosti i lagodnog života, svjestan da ne može osjetiti čistoću istine ukoliko sama sebe ne očisti, kao što su uostalom držali filozofi platonske i neoplatonske tradicije. Zapaljen žarom za filozofskom spoznajom i slašću koju u njemu ostavlja okus istine, odlučuje se na moralno življenje, podlažući život radikalnoj promjeni koja ga preporađa i usmjeruje njegov život novim pravcem. Rastvarajući jedra filozofije vjetru Duha Božjega i objave, usmjeruje svoju lađu u sigurnu luku vjere, odlučujući potom cijeli svoj život posvetiti izučavanju filozofije u krugu najbližih prijatelja, tvoreći čak svojevrsnu filozofskomonašku zajednicu.Ukoliko je to prvo razdoblje Augustinova života obilježeno ljubavlju prema filozofiji onda se razdoblje nakon obraćenja ne može razumjeti ukoliko se nema pred očima hermeneutiku ljubavi. Cjelokupna Hipončeva misao biva prožeta »filozofijom ljubavi«, čime integrira dimenziju ljubavi u filozofiju kao njezin bitni dio, što nije bio slučaj klasične grčke filozofije. Ovakav je velik korak mogao napraviti samo zahvaljujući kršćanskoj objavi koju shvaća kao nužnu pomoć da čovjek ne skrene s puta istine u pogrešku i zabludu. Shodno tome, Augustin prihvaća Boga ne samo kao vrhovno dobro ili kao jedno, poput uglednih filozofa svoga vremena, već ga prvenstveno spoznaje kao ljubav, koja jedina daje obrazloženje stvaranja i odgovore o smislu ljudskog postojanja.Love of philosophy played a major role in St. Augustine’s conversion and life in general. The influence of philosophy on the course of his life was so vital that it could even be said that he converted twice – first to philosophy, then to Christianity. If, however, it is an exaggeration to talk of two conversions since the two processes are but one, in which philosophy played a key role in Augustine’s better understanding of Christianity, the importance of philosophy in his intellectual development can, nevertheless, not be denied. If, for St. Augustine, Christianity represented fullness, then philosophy epitomised a crucial segment of his path contributing both to a much clearer conception of God and an understanding of many philosophical questions, which he had not understood up to then .St. Augustine’s experience reveals that philosophy, on the one hand, implies and, on the other, arouses one’s desire for knowledge, as well as augments one’s thirst for insight . Not just any insight but insight into truth, due to which St. Augustine polemicised against his contemporary scholars who fell for and into scepticism. According to St. Augustine, each understood truth directs man to turn to his very own inner being, and to take the path leading to the Truth, which – besides unveiling itself as Logos through the process of understanding – helps man, disclosing itself through embodiment, with which it becomes both discernible and tangible. It is precisely philosophy that provides St. Augustine with the most powerful and timely stimulus to rise from and above the filth of immorality, superficiality and an easy life, aware that he cannot experience the purity of truth unless he cleanses himself first, which is, after all, what the traditions of both Platonism and Neo-Platonism claim. Burning with desire for philosophical insight and the delight that the taste of truth leaves him with, he decides to live morally while radically changing his life and thus becoming re-born and directed towards a new course. Hoisting the sails of philosophy before the winds of the Spirit of God and the revelation, St. Augustine guides his vessel into the safe harbour of faith, deciding to devote his entire life to the study of philosophy in the company of his closest friends, thus creating a philosophicalmonastic community of its kind.If the pre-conversion years of St. Augustine’s life are distinguished by his love of philosophy, then the post-conversion years of his life cannot be understood without the hermeneutics of love. His entire thought is imbued with the »philosophy of love«, with which he integrates the dimension of love into philosophy as its essential segment, which was not the case with classic Greek philosophy. He could take this giant step only owing to Christian revelation, which he holds to be a necessary help to man, preventing him from deviating from the path of truth to the path of error and misconception. Accordingly, St. Augustine does not only accept God as the supreme good or as one, as many reputable philosophers of his time do, but primarily understands Him to be love, which is the only concept capable of providing justification of creation and answers to the questions of the meaning of human existence. (shrink)

Musical activities in kindergarten play an important role, especially since engaging in such activities contributes to the development of musical capabilities and intellectual, social, emotional, and physical child development. This research examines the opinions of kindergarten teachers towards musical activities, as well as a self-assessment of their competencies to perform them. The results affirm that listening to music is a significant free time activity for kindergarten teachers. It has also been affirmed that teachers who enjoy classical music have more positive (...) opinions towards musical activities in kindergarten. No connection was noted between opinions towards musical activities and attending classical concerts, additional musical education, singing in choirs or traditional a cappella groups, or years of work experience. The results of this research also did not affirm a connection between years of work experience and self-assessments of competencies to perform musical activities. Finally, the majority of teachers were satisfied with their schools’ stock of children’s instruments, computers, and projectors, but not with instruments for teachers. (shrink)

Danas su nastavnici suočeni s brojnim izazovima, posebice u Hrvatskoj u kojoj je u tijeku provođenje opsežne reforme obrazovanja. Reforma obrazovanja stavila je u prvi plan drugačiju paradigmu procesa podučavanja i učenja koja zahtijeva od nastavnika neka nova znanja i vještine. Studije i analize pokazale su kako su upravo nastavnici najvažniji faktor ostvarenja obrazovnih ciljeva učenika. Pored stručnih kompetencija, za razvoj znanja, umijeća i stavova učenika od velike su važnosti i pedagoško-psihološko-didaktičko-metodičke kompetencije nastavnika. U ovom se radu uz pomoć podataka (...) prikupljenih upitnikom na uzorku od 115 studenata željelo detektirati u kojoj su mjeri studenti dviju visokoškolskih institucija – Fakulteta hrvatskih studija i Hrvatskog katoličkog sveučilišta – zadovoljni inicijalnom nastavničkom naobrazbom te smatraju li je pogodnom i dovoljnom za izazove koje nosi njihovo buduće zanimanje. Rezultati provedenog istraživanja pokazuju da su studenti u prosjeku zadovoljni kvalitetom studija i nastavničke naobrazbe te da preferiraju postojeći model stjecanja pedagoških kompetencija uz predmetni studij. Rezultati istraživanja analizirani su u kontekstu ispitivanja potrebe za sadržajnim i praktičnim osmišljavanjem novog načina stjecanja nastavničkih kompetencija, odnosno dorađivanjem ili proširivanjem studija nastavničke naobrazbe. Today, teachers are faced with numerous challenges, especially in Croatia, where extensive educational reform is underway. Education reform has placed a new teaching and learning paradigm in the foreground that demands new knowledge and skills from teachers. Studies and analyses show that teachers are the most important factor in reaching pupils’ educational goals. In additional to professional competencies, pedagogical, psychological, didactic, and methodical teacher competencies are of great importance to the development of knowledge. Using survey data from a sample of 115 students, this paper examines the extent to which students of two institutions of higher education – the Faculty of Croatian Studies and the Catholic University of Croatia – are satisfied with their initial teacher education, and whether they consider it appropriate and sufficient for the challenges their future careers hold. The results of this research show that students are, on average, satisfied with the quality of their studies and teacher education, as well as that they prefer the existing pedagogical competency attainment model that is added to the regular subject study. The research results are analysed in the context of examining the need for a new design of such programmes, their refinement or expansion of teacher education study programmes. (shrink)

Today, teachers are faced with numerous challenges, especially in Croatia, where extensive educational reform is underway. Education reform has placed a new teaching and learning paradigm in the foreground that demands new knowledge and skills from teachers. Studies and analyses show that teachers are the most important factor in reaching pupils’ educational goals. In additional to professional competencies, pedagogical, psychological, didactic, and methodical teacher competencies are of great importance to the development of knowledge. Using survey data from a sample of (...) 115 students, this paper examines the extent to which students of two institutions of higher education – the Faculty of Croatian Studies and the Catholic University of Croatia – are satisfied with their initial teacher education, and whether they consider it appropriate and sufficient for the challenges their future careers hold. The results of this research show that students are, on average, satisfied with the quality of their studies and teacher education, as well as that they prefer the existing pedagogical competency attainment model that is added to the regular subject study. The research results are analysed in the context of examining the need for a new design of such programmes, their refinement or expansion of teacher education study programmes. (shrink)