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Background Identification of infected healthcare workers (HCWs) is an important step in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission control. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are considered an important addition to molecular tests in diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), mainly because of their fast turnaround time, easier analytical procedure and lower price. However, real-life studies on the usefulness of such testing for screening of HCWs are limited. Methods Physicians, nurses and hospital attendants currently working at the University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik were invited to participate in the pilot study. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained three times per week for two consecutive weeks and tested with a point-of-care RAT and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum samples were obtained at the beginning of the study and 2 weeks after the last swab was collected to evaluate the serological status. Results A total of 191 nasopharyngeal swabs from 36 HCWs were obtained. None of the samples tested was positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigen, whereas two HCWs tested positive on RT-PCR. Of these, one HCW had a newly identified SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas RT-PCR probably detected a previous but recent infection in the other HCW. Conclusion Based on the results of this pilot study, it is unlikely that RAT will reliably detect novel SARS-CoV-2 infections among asymptomatic HCWs despite serial sampling. Although RT-PCR-based screening of HCWs may not be feasible due to high sample volume, molecular methods may identify SARS-CoV-2-infected HCWs already during the presymptomatic stage. Trial registration number NCT04716088, 19.1.2021, retrospectively registered.

The hamstrings are biarticular muscle group that plays an important role in the occupational performance of military personnel. The single leg hamstring bridge test (SLHBT) could be a good test to screen military personnel performance. The aims of our study were to assess the reproducibility of the SLHBT in the military population and to use receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis to examine the ability of the SLHBT to discriminate between soldiers with poor and good baseline fitness. A cross-sectional study was performed on 201 male members of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF). They undertook army physical fitness testing (APFT) and functional physical fitness testing (FPFT), which included the SLHBT. The SLHBT showed acceptable reproducibility in a military setting and had moderate predictive validity to discriminate between soldiers with poor and good overall physical fitness performance using a cut-off value of 20 repetitions. In conclusion, the SLHBT could be a good candidate test for the military population as the ROC analysis showed the ability of the SLHBT to discriminate between soldiers with poor and good baseline fitness. The SLHBT represents a simple and affordable test that can be used to evaluate performance and form preventive guidelines for military personnel.

Disleksija je specifična učna težava, ki jo pri otrocih običajno najprej opazimo kot motnjo branja. Zaradi slabšega razumevanja besedila imajo otroci z disleksijo pogosto tudi druge učne težave, zato je zgodnje prepoznavanje znakov disleksije zelo pomembno za otrokov razvoj. Po predloženih specifikacijah implementirajte namizno aplikacijo za presejalni test disleksije. Aplikacijo naj bo možno uporabljati z napravo za sledenje pogledu. Zaledni del aplikacije naj administratorju omogoča osnovni pregled nad opravljenimi testi, staršem pa omogoči vizualizacijo rezultatov reševanja nalog njihovega otroka. Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder, which usually presents in children as a reading difficulty. Due to poor comprehension of the texts, children with dyslexia often struggle with other learning difficulties as well. Early detection of dyslexia is therefore very important for their development. Implement a desktop application for dyslexia screening test according to provided specifications. The application should support the use of an eye-tracking device. The backend part of the application should provide the administrator with a basic overview of the performed tests, and offer parents a visual summary of their child's achievements.

Disleksija spada med specifične učne težave in je genetsko pogojena. Zgodnje prepoznavanje prvih znakov je zelo pomembno in v diplomskem delu smo pokazali, da lahko z različnim izborom atributov in algoritmi to tudi storimo. Različni računalniški sistemi bi lahko že danes hitro in objektivno odkrili rizične znake za nastanek disleksije v zgodnjih letih in tako bi lahko otrokom nudili ustrezno pomoč že v začetku šolanja, ko težave še niso tako izrazite. V tem diplomskem delu se osredotočimo na prepoznavanje oseb z disleksijo z analizo podatkov pridobljenih iz transkripcije zvočnih posnetkov glasnega branja. Med seboj primerjamo in analiziramo različne algoritme in metode strojnega učenja in podamo rezultate. V nalogi smo ugotovili, da z različnimi algoritmi strojnega učenja že na manjšem številu primerov v učni množici dobro napovemo nagnjenost k disleksiji. Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that is genetic in origin. It is very important to predict the predisposition to dyslexia at an early age. In this thesis, we show that we can predict dyslexia with a different attributes and machine learning algorithms. Various computer systems could quickly and objectively detect the predisposition to dyslexia at an early age and thus be able to offer children appropriate help at the very beginning of their education when the problems are not yet noticeable. In this thesis, we focus on the identification of children with dyslexia by analyzing data obtained from the transcription of audio recordings of reading aloud. We compare and analyze different algorithms and machine learning methods and give results. In the thesis, we found that we can predict the predisposition to dyslexia well with different machine learning algorithms even with a small number of cases.

Rak debelega črevesa in danke (RDČD) je tretja najpogostejša vrsta raka in hkrati četrti najpogostejši vzrok smrti zaradi rakavega obolenja na svetu. Čeprav je izvajanje presejalnih testov za raka debelega črevesa v polnem zagonu, in se je stopnja preživetja tekom zadnjih tridesetih let dvignila, je zaradi pomanjkljive zaznavnosti velike večine testov v zgodnji fazi odkritih zgolj okrog 40 – 44 % rakov. V kolikor je rak diagnosticiran v zgodnjem stadiju (I in II) je preživetje pacientov občutno višje kot pri detekciji v poznejšem stadiju (III in IV), kar pomeni da je zgodnja detekcija RDČD izjemno pomembna in potrebna. Trenutni presejalni testi (predvsem imunokemijski testi blata) imajo nižjo sensitivnost v zgodnjem stadiju ter nizko komplianco pacientov, kar pomeni, da obstaja potreba po izboljšavi presejalnih testov. Sprememba presnove je značilen znak ob pojavu raka, ki se kaže v spremembah signalnih poti. Metaboliti so končni produkti celičnih procesov, njihove koncentracije pa se odražajo v delovanju organizma in so hkrati tesno povezane z izraženim fenotipom, kar pomeni, da so metaboliti primerni biološki označevalci za zaznavanje rakavih bolezni. V sklopu te raziskave je bilo pokazano, da je na podlagi metabolnega profila seruma možno razlikovati med pacienti z RDČD, adenomatoznimi polipi in zdravimi pacienti. Vendar je do same uporabe takšnega testa v klinični praksi potrebno še zaključiti multicentrično klinično validacijo na asimptomatski populaciji. Na podlagi te klinične validacije se določi realna natančnost presejalnega testa in preuči potencialna uvedba testa v zdravstven sistem. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the world. Although the implementation of creening tests for CRC is in full swing, and the survival rate has risen during the last thirty ears, only about 40-44% of cancers are detected in the early stage, which is due to the limitations of existing tests. If the cancer is diagnosed in the early stage (I or II), the survival of patients is significantly higher compared to detection in later stage (III or IV). This indicates that early detection of CRC is extremely important and necessary. Current screening tests (especially fecal immunochemical test - FIT) have lower sensitivity for early stage CRC and low patient compliance, which means there is a great need to improve existing screening tests. Altered metabolism is one of typical signs of cancer, which can be seen as changes of specific signal pathways. Metabolites are final products of cellular processes, and their concentrations reflect the functioning of organism and are closely related to the phenotypic, which means metabolites are suitable biological markers for the detection of cancers. As part of this study, it has been shown that specific metabolic profile of the serum can be used to distinguish between patients with CRC, adenomatous polyps and healthy patients. However, to use such a test in clinical practice, multicentre clinical validation study on an asymptomatic population has to be completed. Such clinical validation will determine the actual accuracy of the screening test and will show the potential for introduction of the test into the healthcare system.

Izhodišča. Sladkorna bolezen je kronična bolezen, ki se pojavi, ko trebušna slinavka ne proizvaja dovolj inzulina ali kadar telo ne more učinkovito izrabiti oz. proizvajati inzulina. Diabetično stopalo je skupina sindromov, pri katerih nevropatija, ishemija in infekcija pripeljejo do destrukcije tkiva, kar ima za končno posledico zbolevnost, lahko pa tudi amputacijo. Namen magistrskega dela je bil predstaviti in raziskati problem diabetičnega stopala kot zapleta sladkorne bolezni z vidika medicinskih sester v diabetološki ambulanti in z vidika pacientov s sladkorno boleznijo. Raziskovalna metodologija. Za teoretični del je bila uporabljena deskriptivna metoda in analiza domače in tuje literature, za raziskavo pa smo uporabili kvalitativna in kvantitativna metodologija. Tehnika zbiranja podatkov je anketni vprašalnik za paciente s sladkorno boleznijo in delno strukturiran intervju za medicinske sestre, ki delajo v diabetološki ambulanti. Pridobljene empirične podatke smo analizirali in obdelali s pomočjo statističnega računalniškega programa IBM SPSS Statistics 20 in računalniškega programa Microsoft Office Excel 2010. Rezultati. Najpomembnejše o zdravstveni vzgoji pri diabetičnem stopalu za paciente je, da so ti pisno in ustno poučeni o zdravstveni vzgoji sladkornih pacientov, da jim je predstavljeno diabetičnego stopalo, pravilen način uporabe antibiotikov in da so seznanjeni s primerno obutvijo, ki preprečujejo težave pri gibanju. Za medicinske sestre je za pravilno oskrbo diabetičnega stopala najpomembnejše, da prepoznajo, kaj se s stopalom dogaja in kaj se bo, da oskrbi diabetičnega stopala posveti veliko pozornosti, da izvaja preveze in uporablja ustrezne materiale za celjenje ran. Medicinske sestre morajo glede na ugotovitve stanja diabetičnega stopala vedeti, kam napotiti pacienta na nadaljne obravnave, čeprav o tem odloča zdravnik. Ugotovili smo, da amputacija noge ni pogost zaplet diabetičnega stopala in da so pacienti zelo dobro poučeni glede nege stopal in pravilne obutve. Največ anketirancev je potrebne informacije dobilo pri medicinskih sestrah v diabetološki ambulanti. Z višjo starostjo pacienta s sladkorno boleznijo se večajo težave z vidom, ne povečujejo pa se težave oziroma spremembe tipljivosti stopalnih pulzov, spremembe nohtov, ne povečuje se prisotnost razjed, nevrološke okvare, arterijska hipertenzija in povečana vrednost maščob v krvi. Diabetično stopalo se enako pogosto pojavlja tako pri moških kot tudi pri ženskah. Sklep. Pojavnost sladkorne bolezni vsako leto narašča in s tem tudi diabetično stopalo. Zdravstvena vzgoja je na tem na področju tako napredovala, da imajo diabetološke ambulante svojo šolo za diabetike in s tem tudi medicinske sestre edukatorke, ki poučujejo paciente o zdravstveni vzgoji pri sladkorni bolezni. Da bi preprečili najhujši zaplet diabetičnega stopala, je zelo pomembno, da medicinske sestre poučijo paciente, kaj je diabetična noga, kaj storiti, da ne pride do zapletov pa tudi glede urejenosti krvnega sladkorja, redne telesne dejavnosti, redne in pravilne nege nog, samopregledovanja nog, pravilne izbire obutve in nogavic ter kam in kdaj naj se obrnejo po pomoč. Background. Diabetes occurs due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells of the body not responding properly to the insulin produced. Presence of several characteristics, such as neuropathy, ischaemia and infection is called diabetic foot syndrome, which causes destrucion of tissue and may lead to morbidity or even amputation. The purpose of the master thesis was to present and explore the problem of diabetic foot as a complication of diabetes from the perspective of nurses and patients with diabetes. Research Methodology. Descriptive method analysis of domestic and foreign literature were used for the theoretical part of the study. Qualitative and quantitative methodology were used for the research. The data were collected using a questionnaire for patients with diabetes and a semi-structured interview for nurses working at the clinic. The empirical data obtained were analyzed and processed using a statistical computer program IBM SPSS Statistics 20 and a computer program Microsoft Office Excel 2010.. Results. It is important for patients to be educated about the health education of diabetes patients. They should be presented a diabetic foot, be educated about the correct way to use the antibiotics and be familiarized with the appropriate footwear to prevent problems with movement. In treating a diabetic foot it is important for nurses to recognize what is and what is going to be happening with the foot, to pay more attention to the diabetic foot care, to change bandages and to use the appropriate materials for wound healing. According to the state of diabetic foot, the nurses should know where to refer a patient to for further treatment, despite the fact the doctor makes the final call. Leg amputation is not a common complication of diabetic foot. Patients are well educated about foot care and proper footwear. Most respodents learned from nurses in clinics. Eyesight problems occur with increased age of the patients with diabetes. But problems, such as pedal pulse sensation changes, toenail changes, the presence of ulcers, neurological disorders, arterial hypertension, and an increased level of blood fat are not effected by increased age. Diabetic foot is equally common in men and women. Conclusion. The number of patients with diabetes and diabetic foot is increasing every year. Health education for diabetes has progressed to a degree where clinics have their own schools. Thus patients with diabetes and also nurses are taught about diabetes health education. In order to prevent a serious complication of diabetic foot, it is important for nurses to educate their patients about diabetic foot, blood sugar control, regural physical activity, regural and proper foot care, self foot examination, proper footwear, where and when to get help, and how to avoid complications.

Kalcijev karbonat je kemična spojina, ki ima zaradi svojih lastnosti edinstven pomen in vlogo v mnogih vejah industrije, bodisi kot polnilo ali pigment. Uporablja se predvsem v proizvodnji papirja, plastike, gume ter v farmacevtski in živilski industriji. V naravi se nahaja v različnih oblikah - kot apnenec, kreda ali marmor. Glede na izvor je lahko rahlo rumenkasto obarvan, kar kazi belino čistega CaCO3. Pogoj za dobro kakovost karbonatnih polnil je poleg odlične beline tudi, da je njihova suspenzija stabilna in mikrobiološko neoporečna. Zato v postopku predelave karbonatna polnila zaščitijo proti razpadu suspenzije in mikrobiološki nestabilnosti s kemijskimi dodatki kot so biocidna sredstva, različni konzervansi, vodikov peroksid in dispergirna sredstva. Uvedba postopka ozoniranja v tehnološki proces priprave suspenzije CaCO3 je priložnost izboljšati belino suspenzije CaCO3 in hkrati zagotoviti mikrobiološko stabilnost izdelka ter na ta način zmanjšati porabo biocidnih sredstev in belil. Calcium carbonate as chemical compound with specific properties is highly significant and plays a unique role in various branches of industry. It could be applied as filler or a pigment. It is used mainly in paper, plastic, rubber, pharmaceutical and food industry. Its most common natural forms are limestone, chalk or marble. Depending on its origin it can be yellowish, which negatively influences the whiteness of pure CaCO3. Carbonate fillers of good quality should in addition to excellent whiteness be stable and microbiologically impeccable in suspension. To achieve the high quality of product, carbonate filler suspensions are protected against destabilization and microbiological infection with biocides, various preservatives, hydrogen peroxide and dispersants in the production phase. Introduction of the ozonation process into technological process of producing the suspension CaCO3 is a promissing opportunity to improve CaCO3 suspension's whiteness and at the same time ensure microbiological stability of the product and reduce use of biocides and whitening agents.

V raziskavi smo ugotavljali diagnostično vrednost enokanalnega prenosnega EKG monitorja HCG 801 pri klasifikaciji atrijske fibrilacije (AF). Namen raziskovalnega dela je bil raziskati njegovo učinkovitost pri presejalnem testu AF na primarni ravni v patronažnem varstvu. Raziskovalna metodologija. Raziskava je temeljila na kvantitativni metodologiji, kjer smo uporabili statistično metodo diagnostičnega testa. Z uporabo kontingenčnih tabel smo izračunali statistične vrednosti za specifičnost, senzitivnost, pozitivno napovedano vrednost in negativno napovedano vrednost. V raziskavo diagnostične vrednosti prenosnega EKG monitorja smo vključili 63 bolnikov z diagnosticirano AF in 62 bolnikov brez diagnosticirane AF. Bolniki, ki se zdravijo v antikoagulantni ambulanti, so imeli že potrjeno AF. Bolnike brez diagnosticirane AF smo zagotovili z vključevanjem kroničnih bolnikov na terenskem območju patronažnih sester. Na terenu smo vsem preiskovancem posneli 12-kanalni EKG, ki nam je služil za potrditev ali zavrnitev diagnoze AF. Na skupnem vzorcu 125 bolnikov smo nato izvedli meritve z enokanalnim EKG monitorjem, izpis pa sta odčitavala dva zdravnika in tri patronažne medicinske sestre. Raziskovalni vzorec na terenu nam je pozneje služi za presejalni test AF. Rezultati. Rezultati so pokazali, da sta oba zdravnika in vse tri patronažne medicinske sestre dosegli, visoko specifičnost in senzitivnost pri odkrivanju AF z enokanalnim prenosnim EKG monitorjem. Zdravnika sta diagnosticirala AF s senzitivnostjo 83,6 % (Cl = 72,9–90,6 %) in 82,1 % (Cl = 71,3–89,4 %). Specifičnost diagnostičnega testa je bila 88,7 % (Cl = 77,4–94,7 %) in 79,2 % (Cl = 66,5–88,0 %). Patronažne medicinske sestre so dosegle senzitivnost testa 79,1 % (Cl = 67,9– 87,1 %), 80,6 % (Cl = 69,6–88,3 %) in 77,6 % (Cl = 66,3–85,9 %). Specifičnosti diagnostičnega testa pri patronažnih medicinskih sestrah so bile prav tako visoke: 86,8 % (Cl = 75,2–93,5 %), 84,9 % (Cl = 72,9–92,1 %) in 83,0 % (Cl = 70,8–90,8 %). S presejalnim testom, kjer smo uporabljali prenosni EKG monitor, smo na vzorcu 60 preiskovancev odkrili 7 primerov atrijske fibrilacije (incidenca 12 %). Sklep. Analiza rezultatov nakazuje, da je prenosni EKG monitor učinkovito orodje pri presejanju atrijske fibrilacije na terenu. In the master’s thesis we focused on determining the diagnostic value of the single-channel portable ECG monitor HCG 801 for atrial fibrillation classification (AF). The purpose of this experiment was to determine the efficiency of this method with AF screening tests on the primary level of home care nursing. Research methodology. The research was based on quantitative methodology, where we used the statistical method of diagnostic testing. By the help of contingency tables, we were able to calculate the values of specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative prediction value. In order to determine the diagnostic value of the portable ECG monitor, we added 63 patients diagnosed with AF and 62 patients without AF into the experiment. Patients being treated in the anticoagulation clinic have already had their AF confirmed. We managed to include patients not diagnosed with AF by adding chronic patients from operational areas of home care nurses. On the field we executed a 12 channel ECG test on each subject, by which we were able to determine a positive or negative diagnosis of AF. We then carried out measurements on the common sample of 125 patients with the help of a single-channel ECG monitor. The print-outs were monitored by two doctors and three home care nurses. The onfield research model was later used as an AF screening test. Results. The results showed, that both doctors and all three home care nurses achieved a high AF diagnostic value with the single-channel portable ECG apparatus. The doctors diagnosed AF with a sensitivity of 83,6 % (Cl = 72,9-90,6 %) and 82,1 % (Cl = 71,3-89,4 %). The specificity of the diagnostic test was 88,7 % (Cl = 77,4-94,7 %) and 79,2 % (Cl = 66,5-88,0 %). The home care nurses achieved a test sensitivity of 79,1 % (Cl = 67,9-87,1 %), 80,6 % (Cl = 69,6-88,3 %) and 77,6 % (Cl = 66,3-85,9 %). The specificities of the diagnostic test carried out by the home care nurses were also high: 86,8 % (Cl = 75,2-93,5 %), 84,9 % (Cl = 72,9-92,1 %) in 83,0 % (Cl = 70,8- 90,8 %). We diagnosed 7 cases of AF from a group of 60 patients with the screening test by using the portable ECG monitor (an incidency of 12 %). Conclusion. The analysis of data shows, that the portable ECG monitor is an effective tool for atrial fibrillation screening on the field.

V prvem delu diplomske naloge sem predstavila črevesne parazite, ki so potencialno nevarni otrokom. Osredotočila sem se predvsem na gliste, ki najpogosteje zajedajo pri otrocih. V nadaljevanju diplomske naloge sem podrobneje predstavila glisto podančico (Enterobius vermicularis), ki je pri otrocih najbolj pogosta. Prisotnost parazita preventivno preverjajo pri sistematskih pregledih predšolskih otrok pri starosti tri in pet let. V drugem delu diplomske naloge se prepletata laboratorijska biokemija in zoologija. Delo je potekalo v laboratoriju klinične kemije in biokemije ter v arhivu laboratorija JZ Zdravstvenega doma Celje. Prisotnost parazita preverjajo vse leto ob rednih sistematskih pregledih v posvetovalnici otroškega dispanzerja. Metoda, s katero posredno ugotavljajo prisotnost parazita, se imenuje Presejalni test, kjer s pomočjo mikroskopskega pregleda, perianalnega brisa, iščejo prisotnost karakterističnih jajčec gliste vrste Enterobius vermicularis. Po zbranih in obdelanih podatkih lahko ugotovimo, da je stopnja infestacije s podančico razmeroma nizka in v zadnjih petih letih ni prerasla dva odstotka. To si lahko razlagamo na dva načina, eden je nedosledno prijavljanje okuženosti pristojnim lokalnim zavodom, drugi pa je vedno večji poudarek na pomembnosti higiene. In the first part of my graduation thesis I have presented intestinal parasites, which are a potential threat to the children. I have focused primarily on worms which parasitise children. I then continued with a detailed presentation of the pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis), which is the most common parasitic worm in children. The presence of the parasite is preventively checked during an annual medical check-up of preschool children aged three and five. In the second part of my diploma laboratory biochemistry and zoology intertwine. My work was done in the laboratory of clinical chemistry and biochemistry as well as in the archive of Health Center Celje. The presence of the parasite is checked every year during an annual medical check-up in the children’s clinic. The method, with which they indirectly determine the presence of the parasite, is called the ‘Scotch tape’ test, where they check for the presence of pinworm eggs under a microscope. After I have collected and processed the data, I have established that the degree of infestation with the pinworm is relatively low and has not surpassed two percent in the last five years. This can be explained in two ways, one is the inconsistent reports of infestation to the responsible local institute and the other is an increased emphasis on hygiene importance.