Three measures of internet use, social media use and video game playing as predictors of insomnia during the pandemic among students.

Existing research indicates that the relationship between digital technology use and insomnia can largely depend on which digital technology measure and which insomnia measure is considered. Data on 4261 Slovenian tertiary students was gathered through an online survey in February 2021, which included measures of depression and insomnia symptoms, as well as measures of internet, social media and video game use divided into three measurement levels (use, duration of use, addictive use). Regression analysis revealed an apparent effect of measurement level, where addictive use measures consistently outperformed other technology use measures in predicting insomnia. Regardless of measurement level, social media use seems to produce more risk for insomnia, compared to playing video games or general internet use for leisure purposes. Importantly, a single measure of depression symptoms explained more variance in insomnia than the nine measures of digital technology use combined, meaning that the effect of digital technology on sleep should not be overstated. Most of the effect of social media use on insomnia may in fact be explained by understanding users' depression symptoms. In case of gaming, a larger part of its effect on insomnia is independent of depression symptoms.

The comparison of the speed of solving chemistry calculation tasks in the traditional way and with the use of ICT.

Efficiency of time use is a key factor in chemistry calculation tasks, affecting both, personal and professional domains. This study is dedicated to finding the fastest methods for accomplishing chemistry tasks. Our investigation delves into the comparative temporal outlays made by students as they engage three different approaches: using an electronic calculator, a basic calculator app on a smartphone, and a desktop computer calculator. As part of our research, we examine a cohort of 52 Slovenian university students, preservice teachers who were actively enrolled in chemistry and related science programs, spanning the academic years of 2019 and 2022.  The results from 2019 show that students can solve the chemistry tasks most quickly using electronic calculator and take the most time to calculate the tasks using smartphones (Δmean = 133 s; ΔSD = 5 s; Δmin = 97 s; Δmax = 131 s). An even larger difference is observed from the 2022 study year (Δmean = 189 s; ΔSD = 129 s; Δmin = 170 s; Δmax = 625 s). In summary, although smartphones are recognised as a multitasking device, replacing traditional single-purpose devices, they have not been able to outperform them.

The influence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on vaccination hesitancy among postsecondary students.

The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on vaccination hesitancy among Slovenian postsecondary students. A cross-sectional study using a set of previously tested instruments and ad hoc questions created by the authors was chosen as the method to gain insight into various health and sociodemographic aspects of Slovenian postsecondary students affected by the COVID-19-induced closures and suspensions of educational activities at tertiary educational institutions (N = 5999). Overall, 39.7% of participating students expressed an intention to get vaccinated at the first possible opportunity, whereas 29.2% expressed no intent to do so. The highest vaccine hesitancy was observed among prospective teachers (50.3%) and the lowest among prospective physicians (5,7%). When examining the role of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on the Slovenian postsecondary students' intentions to get vaccinated the results of logistic regression showed that only fear of COVID-19 played a mild and significant role.

The Protective Role of Resilience in the Development of Social Media Addiction in Tertiary Students and Psychometric Properties of the Slovenian Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS).

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became one of the most utilized sources of information relating to the disease. With the increased reliance on social media, the risk of excessive use and the development of social media addiction emerges. The aim of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, and to explore how psychological resilience affects social media addiction symptoms directly and indirectly through symptoms of depression, anxiety and mental distress. A large online cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021 among Slovenian tertiary students (N = 4868). The results showed the high reliability, unidimensionality and criterion validity of the Slovenian Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. The proposed structural model fit the data well and showed a significant direct positive effect of depression and stress on social media addiction. Moreover, the majority of the negative effects of psychological resilience on social media addiction (87.2%) were indirect, through depression and stress symptoms, whereas resilience had a significantly smaller impact on social media addiction by reducing anxiety symptoms. The overall prevalence of social media addiction symptoms was 4.6%, with females exhibiting higher proportions than men. Additionally, female social media users reported a complete absence of social media addiction symptoms less often compared to males. Future research should further explore the mechanisms behind social media addiction, in order to gain a better understanding of the apparently different risk levels for both genders.

Compliance with Preventive Measures and COVID-19 Vaccination Intention among Medical and Other Healthcare Students.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate compliance with preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among Slovenian students of healthcare and medicine, identify the predictive socio-demographic factors, establish the possible causes, and propose vaccination strategies and programs in response to the findings. METHODS: Data were collected using an online survey as part of a large cross-sectional study of full-time students engaged in higher-level study. The survey took place between 9 February and 8 March 2021. RESULTS: A total of 56.3% of medical and other healthcare students surveyed expressed their intention to receive the vaccine at the earliest opportunity, 22.4% said that they would do so at a later date and 21.3% said that they did not intend to get vaccinated. The medical students surveyed showed a greater readiness to get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity than those studying other healthcare disciplines, men more than women, and single persons more than those in a relationship. Students attending a vocational college, professional higher education or university study program (Bologna first cycle) showed less readiness than other students to get vaccinated as soon as they were able. CONCLUSION: Our research found that 56.3% of those studying health-related subjects intended to get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity. There were significant differences between medical and other healthcare students, as well as differences resulting from the level of higher education study being undertaken. In addition, the conclusions show that there needs to be a strengthening of communication with students regarding COVID-19 and the importance of vaccination. Lessons that we learned in this pandemic should prepare us for the future. Clearer and more effective communication and education in the future regarding the importance of vaccination is the most effective way of preventing communicable diseases.

Retention of Knowledge and Skills After a Basic Life Support Course for Schoolchildren: A Prospective Study.

Courses on basic life support (BLS) and automated external defibrillator (AED) in schools lead to increase in knowledge but its retention is less well explored. We aimed to explore the long-term retention of knowledge and practical skills among schoolchildren after a BLS and AED course to be able to tailor future courses accordingly. Study was conducted in 3 parts and included 823 seventh and ninth graders from different elementary schools in Maribor, Slovenia. In Study 1 (n=611) we assessed students' baseline knowledge and immediate knowledge gain after our BLS and AED course with a validated questionnaire; in Study 2 (n=116) we assessed retention of gained knowledge and skills after 5 months with a modified Cardiff test and Little Anne QCPR manikin; in Study 3 (n=96) we assessed retention of knowledge 2 years after the course. Mean differences in knowledge before and after the course in Study 1 and between studies were analyzed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests. Differences between individual question scores at different time points were compared using Mann - Whitney U test. A two-sided P<0,05 was considered significant. Practical skills retention was presented with descriptive statistics. Knowledge gain was significant immediately after the course with 83% correct answers compared to 60% at baseline. Scores dropped significantly after 5 months (73%) and after 2 years (75%), but remained significantly better than at baseline (P<0.001). Practical skills perfomance score as per Cardiff test after 5 months was 63%. Overall BLS performance score as per QCPR app was 59%, with an overall cardio score of 77% (average compression rate: 124/min and depth: 52 mm) and ventilation score of 44%. This study showed that long term retention of theoretical knowledge was satisfying whereas poor practical skills performance after 5 months calls for a more intense practical training on repeat courses.

Perceived Satisfaction with Online Study during COVID-19 Lockdown Correlates Positively with Resilience and Negatively with Anxiety, Depression, and Stress among Slovenian Postsecondary Students.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to fill the research gap regarding the influence of satisfaction with distance learning on the correlates of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An online cross-sectional study was conducted in February and March 2021, involving 4661 postsecondary students. Five validated instruments-PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), PSS-4 (stress), CD-RISC-10 (resilience) and SAT-5 (satisfaction with online study)-were used in the present study. FINDINGS: The correlations between anxiety, depression, and stress were so high that they were almost inextricably linked. Both satisfaction with online learning and psychological resilience were negatively correlated with anxiety, depression, and stress. Satisfaction with online learning was also negatively correlated with psychological resilience. Females showed higher levels of vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and stress, and exhibited lower levels of psychological resilience than males. CONCLUSION: Home-based distance-learning during the COVID-19-induced lockdown had a significant impact on students' mental health. Low satisfaction with distance learning can lead to the development of anxiety and depression symptoms, increase stress, and decrease the psychological resilience of postsecondary students; therefore, it is critical that educational institutions focus on implementing interventions that promote students' satisfaction with distance learning, and their psychological resilience, to protect their mental health.

Is the Hitchcock Story Really True? Public Opinion on Hooded Crows in Cities as Input to Management.

In recent years, the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) has become one of the most successful wild bird species in urban environments across Europe. Hooded crows can cause several problems in cities, including trash scattering, noise disturbance, and aggressive behavior toward humans or pets, and they can be potential vectors of pathogens. To find effective solutions, the public has to be involved in the decision-making process in urban planning management, managed by the city administration. In this study, we surveyed the attitude of people in Hungary towards crows and crow management by collecting information using an online questionnaire containing 65 questions published in 14 Facebook groups. We found that many people were familiar with corvid species and had personal experience with them. In most cases, these experiences were not negative, so the crows were not or only rarely perceived to cause problems to people, such as aggressive behavior, damage to cars or stealing something. Most respondents recognized that the presence of large numbers of hooded crows is a problem to be solved and acknowledged that they do not know how to resolve it. The majority of people expressed their interest in raising public awareness of crows but not in their management actions, which they believe should be implemented by experts. Most respondents preferred passive, harmless methods. More direct methods such as egg/chick removal from the nest, control by trapping, poisoned baits or firearms, or oral contraceptives were the least acceptable. These results express the difficulty in identifying a control method for managing hooded crow populations that is both acceptable to most people and effective at the same time. This study demonstrates the importance of involving public opinion in wildlife management and providing more information to citizens to reduce human-crow conflicts.

Influence of Forced Online Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perceived Stress of Postsecondary Students: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: One of the most significant changes in the majority of postsecondary educational institutions was the closure of those institutions and the shift of educational activities to online distance learning formats as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Closure combined with forced online distance education (FODE) was a cure with many side effects, 1 of them being the effect on students' mental health and, more specifically, levels of stress. Due to the novelty of the situation, there have been no studies so far designed to link satisfaction with online study, feelings toward the study obligations, and stress among students. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the perceived stress of Slovenian postsecondary students in order to identify the online study-related factors affecting or acting as a covariate during the COVID-19 lockdown. METHODS: Data collection was conducted through a self-reported survey as part of a large cross-sectional study based on data collected from postsecondary students from a number of higher educational institutions. The random sample consisted of 4455 individuals. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), Satisfaction with Online Study Scale (SAT-5), and Feelings Towards Study Obligations Scale (FETSOS) were used to assess the constructs and the relations observed within the study. RESULTS: The results indicate that more than half of all respondents reported high levels of stress. The difference in the reported levels of perceived stress between genders were statistically significant (N=4454, F2=56.719, P<.001, Cohen d=0.35). Overall, the results suggest that a decline in the motivation to study, the quality of internet and mobile connections, and the presence of distracting factors in the study space were the 3 main factors related to the students' negative emotions as associated with the timeliness, performance, and quality of the study obligations. Furthermore, the results show that the level of satisfaction with online study affected stress such that the higher the satisfaction, the lower the stress. Moreover, the more positive feelings connected with the timeliness, performance, and quality of the study obligations that the students felt, the more satisfaction they reported with online study and, thus indirectly, lower stress and less negative feelings. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study call for implementing structures and measures targeted at stress reduction, working conditions, and pedagogy with regard to FODE.

Validated Assessment of Schoolchildren's Attitude Towards Basic Life Support and Automated External Defibrillator Use.

As knowledge and attitude towards performing basic life support and using an automated external defibrillator (BLS and AED) contribute equally to improving survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, we aimed to develop a measuring instrument for a validated assessment of schoolchildrens' attitude towards BLS and AED. The objective was to identify, measure, and address pertinent attitude dimensions that influence the intention to actually perform BLS and AED. We conducted a BLS and AED course for seventh and ninth grade students. Students fulfilled pre- and post-course questionnaires on attitude and intention to perform BLS and AED. The measuring instrument was developed with the use of exploratory factor analysis with application of principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with application of structural equation modeling. Measurement invariance across different groups (gender, grades, previous courses) was tested with Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Mann-Whitney U test. Differences in attitude pre- and post-course were evaluated by application of Mann-Whitney U test. The final attitude model consisted of 3 behavioral constructs (self-confidence, positive motivation, and amotivation). Self-confidence was the major construct directly affecting the intention to act. Positive motivation had a negligible direct effect on intention but correlated strongly with self-confidence. The effect of attitude on the intention to help is therefore less complicated than was expected, which relieves the non-professional educators of having to know the specifics of the different behavioral constructs.

The difference in views of educators and students on Forced Online Distance Education can lead to unintentional side effects.

The aim of the study was to investigate the different views of educators and students on Forced Online Distance Education during the Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lock-down. Such differences in views can be a source of misunderstanding, leading to unintended side effects. Online open-ended surveys resulted in 1341 comments received from 210 university educators and 347 students. The coding, based on the principles of Grounded Theory, resulted in 35 concepts, organized into 6 categories. The main findings were that students and educators shared most of the negative and positive views; however, there exist unique views that are not shared between the two groups. The negative views outweigh the positive ones, and educators are more negative than students. The category 'Perceived usefulness' is the most positive and 'Technology' the most negative category. Positive views were attributed to the quality of life, not the quality of the study. The most important contribution of the work to the existing body of knowledge is the comparative analysis of the unconstrained views of students and their educators about Online Learning Environments (OLE) as the workhorse of Forced Online Distance Education (FODE). The results of this study can be helpful for institutional evaluators, since they reveal undesirable side effects that are usually overlooked. The study brings a new, deeper look at Forced Online Distance Education and the non-neutral role of digital technology in it.

Development, validation and assessment of the test on knowledge about basic life support and use of automated external defibrillator among schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Educating lay public can significantly strengthen the Chain of Survival after out of hospital cardiac arrest. Schoolchildren are an accessible population for learning basic life support (BLS) and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and can be regarded as multipliers of knowledge that can reach the whole population. This study aimed to develop and validate a test for examining levels of knowledge about BLS and AED among schoolchildren that can be used to uniformly present reliable data. METHODS: A knowledge test about BLS and AED consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions was developed and implemented before and after a 2-h BLS and AED course consisting of an interactive lecture and a practical workshop for 783 students in seventh and ninth grades of elementary schools in Maribor, Slovenia. Each question was analyzed and presented with descriptive statistics and educometric parameters (difficulty and discriminating indices). All variables were checked for normality with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and analyzed using non-parametric tests. Statistical significance of the differences in knowledge before and after intervention were calculated with chi-square statistics and effect sizes r are reported. Differences between genders, grades and previous attendance to BLS courses were compared using Mann - Whitney U test. The effect size was calculated from the Z score and reported as r value. RESULTS: After educometric analysis, questions were adjusted to meet the requirements of satisfactory functioning difficulty and discriminating indices (values between 0,40 and 0,60, and above 0,20, respectively). Only one question had to be eliminated due to inadequate difficulty and discriminating index (0,99 and 0,02, respectively). Measurement invariance across gender (p < 0,001), school grade (p < 0,001), and attendance to previous courses (p = 0,303) was assured. CONCLUSIONS: A test for accurate and reliable measurement of knowledge of BLS and AED among schoolchildren was developed and validated. According to the findings it can now reliably be used to assess baseline knowledge and potential improvement in knowledge after a course on BLS and AED. Standardized data gathered with a validated tool can now be presented at legislative levels to promote BLS and AED courses implementation in school curricula.

From municipal/industrial wastewater sludge and FOG to fertilizer: A proposal for economic sustainable sludge management.

After a ban on the depositing of untreated sludge in landfills, the sludge from municipal and industrial water-treatment plants can be regarded as a problem. Waste products of the water treatment process can be a problem or an opportunity - a source for obtaining raw materials. In the European Union, raw sludge and fats, oil and grease (FOG) from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) cannot be deposited in any natural or controlled environment. For this reason, it must be processed (stabilized, dried) to be used later as a fertilizer, building material, or alternative fuel source suitable for co-incineration in high temperature furnaces (power plants or concrete plants). The processes of drying sludge, where heat and electricity are used, are energy consuming and economically unattractive. Beside energy efficiency, the main problem of sludge drying is in its variability of quality as a raw material. In addition to this, sludge can be contaminated by a number of organic and inorganic pollutants and organisms. Due to the presence or absence of pollutants, different end products can be economically interesting. For example, if the dried sludge contains coliform bacteria, viruses, helminths eggs or smaller quantities of heavy metals, it cannot be used as a fertilizer but can still be used as a fuel. The objectives of the current article is to present a batch-processing pilot device of sludge or digestate that allows the following: (1) low pressure and low temperature energy effective drying of from 10 to 40% remaining water content, (2) disinfection of pathogen (micro)organisms, (3) heavy metal reduction, (4) production of products of predetermined quality (e.g. containing different quantities of water; it can be used as a fertilizer, or if the percentage of water in the dry sludge is decreased to 10%, then the dried sludge can be used as a fuel with a calorific value similar to coal). An important feature is also the utilization of low-pressure technology to prevent odorous gasses from spreading into the environment. There are presented two new technologies: a) Sewage sludge or digestate drying in the vacuum chamber consumes approx. 1 kWh/dm3 of evaporated water and, therefore, reaches a price of 180-240 Euros/t Dry Matter (DM), and b) Heavy metals' reduction using adsorbing reaction with magnetite nanostructures can decrease the level of heavy metals in the sewage sludge or digestate up to 20% in one cycle, which can be repeated several times on the same sludge. The aim of the paper is to present a newly developed technology which can provide economic and safe use of moderate heavy metals polluted sewage sludge on agricultural lands as organic fertilizer and, therefore, returning the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) back to the human food chain, instead of being incinerated or landfilled. The proposed drying technology is economically sustainable due to the low vacuum and temperature (35 °C-40 °C), that increases the efficiency of the heat pump (coefficient of performance 5-7,2) of the energy produced by the anaerobic digestion. Hence, the main emphasis is given to the development of: an efficient method for heavy metals' reduction in the sludge treatment chain by using chitosan covered magnetite nanoparticles, an efficient drying method in a vacuum with low temperature energy which can be exploited from sludge digestion to reduce organic matter, and an energy sustainable concept of sludge treatment, with the addition of fats, oil and grease (FOG) to produce enough biogas for sludge drying to produce fertilizer.

Public attitudes and opinions as dimensions of efficient management with extensive meadows in Natura 2000 area.

Over time, grassland use has changed from traditional (extensive) to intensive agricultural management, a change which has caused biodiversity loss in the European grassland area. To save Europe's biodiversity, the most important measure was the establishment of the Natura 2000 network. Goricko Landscape Park in Slovenia is in Natura 2000 to preserve its traditional and extensive small-scale farming. The aims of this research were to identify potential obstacles to proper management of the extensively used meadows in this region and identify major factors that would affect such management in order to prepare more appropriate strategies for habitat conservation. The data was collected by online survey and in paper and pencil format. Based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling, we can conclude that less than a half of 228 respondents can identify what activities are permitted in a Natura 2000 area, which indicates a lack of knowledge about Natura 2000. The majority agree with meadow management in the welfare of protected plants and animals but would accept management under stricter regulations only if accompanied by higher subsidies in for management under stricter regulations. These respondents are not prepared to participate in measures for preserving biodiversity without beneficiaries. Respondents have in average a positive opinion toward protected plants and animals, but the procedure for obtaining environmental subsidies for meadows seems to them too complicated. Although the majority of respondents do not see a Natura 2000 area as a place for quality living, it is the factor with the highest significant effect on willingness to participate in measures to preserve biodiversity.

Chryseobacterium limigenitum sp. nov., isolated from dehydrated sludge.

An intense yellow pigmented strain (SUR2(T)) isolated from dehydrated activated sludge was studied in detail to clarify its taxonomic assignment. Cells of the isolate showed a rod-shaped morphology and stained Gram-negative. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed highest similarities to the type strains of Chryseobacterium polytrichastri YG4-6(T) (98.6 %), Chryseobacterium aahli T68F(T) (97.9 %), Chryseobacterium daeguense K105(T) and Chryseobacterium gregarium DSM 79109(T) (both 97.4 %). 16S rRNA gene-sequence similarities to all other Chryseobacterium species were below 97.3 %. The fatty acid analysis of strain SUR2(T) revealed a Chryseobacterium typical profile composed mainly of the fatty acids C15:0 iso, C15:0 iso 2-OH, C17:1 iso ω9c, and C17:0 iso 3-OH. DNA-DNA hybridizations with the type strains of C. polytrichastri, C. aahli, C. daeguense and C. gregarium resulted in values below 70 %. Differentiating biochemical and chemotaxonomic properties showed differences to the most closely related species and suggest that the isolate SUR2(T) represents a novel species, for which the name Chryseobacterium limigenitum sp. nov. (type strain SUR2(T) = ZIM B1019(T) = CCM 8594(T) = LMG 28734(T)) is proposed.

The influence of intelligence and emotions on the acceptability of genetically modified organisms

The purpose of the study was to explore the relation between the acceptance of genetically modified organisms, basic emotions, general (IQ), verbal (VIQ) and procedural (PIQ) intelligence. The sample comprised 123 students of psychology (N = 65; 52.8 percent) and pre-service teachers (N = 58; 47.2 percent). There were 52 (42.3 percent) females and 71 males (57.7 percent) from one of the Slovenian universities. The conclusions of the study are as follows: a) acceptability of genetically modified organisms cannot be considered as a single group, but each GMO should be considered separately. Plants and microorganisms are much more easily to be accepted than animals and usages others than for food are more acceptable. Females showed higher level of acceptance than males. b) Among responses involving ten basic emotions (fear, anger, joy, disgust, sadness, shame, contempt, guilt, surprise and interest), anger, fear, disgust and contempt are significantly correlated with the rejection of GMOs. Interest and surprise are the most frequent responses towards GMOs but are not correlated with acceptance, showing that interest can be triggered by both negative and positive attitudes toward GMOs. c) IQ in females is negatively correlated with fear, disgust, sadness, shame, contempt, guilt and surprise (statistically significant); VIQ with fear, disgust, shame and guilt; PIQ with joy, shame and guilt. Higher IQ, VIQ and PIQ are connected with the lower emotional response, leading to easier acceptance of GMOs.

Knowledge about and acceptance of genetically modified organisms among pre-service teachers: a comparative study of turkey and Slovenia

Genetically modified organisms cannot be regarded as merely a topic for academic debate, since these have serious implications as a research field and for production based on genetic engineering. Public debates rarely base their arguments on elements rooted in scientific arguments and knowledge but are heavily loaded with emotions, opinions and informal reasoning. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and acceptance of genetically modified organisms among prospective teachers in Slovenia and Turkey. Knowledge of genetic modification was measured with a two-tier instrument. The level of acceptance of genetic modification was measured with a 17-item instrument. Findings revealed that knowledge of genetics and biotechnology barely influenced the acceptability of genetic modification, and correlations are low. The relationship between knowledge and acceptance was not significant among Slovenian students and while significant for the Turkish or combined groups, the r values were only 0.179 and 0.244. It was found that differences in the acceptability of clusters of different kinds of genetically modified organisms do exist between the two countries. In both countries, participants recognized microorganisms and plants that produce something useful as the most acceptable organisms, while at the other end were animals used for consumption or as donors of organs. Practical implications for teaching are discussed and implications for further studies are drawn.

Connecting biology and mathematics: first prepare the teachers.

Developing the connection between biology and mathematics is one of the most important ways to shift the paradigms of both established science disciplines. However, adding some mathematic content to biology or biology content to mathematics is not enough but must be accompanied by development of suitable pedagogical models. I propose a model of pedagogical mathematical biological content knowledge as a feasible starting point for connecting biology and mathematics in schools and universities. The process of connecting these disciplines should start as early as possible in the educational process, in order to produce prepared minds that will be able to combine both disciplines at graduate and postgraduate levels of study. Because teachers are a crucial factor in introducing innovations in education, the first step toward such a goal should be the education of prospective and practicing elementary and secondary school teachers.

Knowlege of, attitudes toward, and acceptance of genetically modified organisms among prospective teachers of biology, home economics, and grade school in Slovenia.

The objective of this study was to investigate knowledge, opinions, and attitudes toward, as well as readiness to accept genetically modified organisms (GMOs) among prospective primary and secondary Slovene teachers. Our findings are that prospective teachers want to take an active role in rejecting or supporting individual GMOs and are aware of the importance of education about genetically modified organism (GMO) items and their potential significance for society. Through cluster analysis, we recognized four clusters of GMOs, separated by degree of genetically modified acceptability. GM plants and microorganisms which are recognized as useful are accepted. They are undecided about organisms used in research or medicine and reject organisms used for food consumption and for fun. There are only weak correlations between knowledge and attitudes and knowledge and acceptance of GMOs, and a strong correlation between attitudes and acceptance. The appropriate strategies and actions for improving university courses in biotechnology are discussed.