No description available.

Purpose Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) express a unique photopigment called melanopsin. Capable of direct phototransduction, the ipRGCs are also influenced by rods and cones via synaptic inputs.  Thus, the photoinput that mediates the pupil light reflex derives from both outer (rods and cones) and inner (melanopsin-mediated) retinal photoreception. This thesis has aimed to develop a pupillometric test that provides quantitative information about the functional status of outer and inner retinal photoreception in healthy eyes and in eyes with retinal degeneration. In addition to regulating the pupil light reflex, the ipRGCs signal light information for the circadian rhythm, thus, these two non-visual physiologic responses to inner retinal photoreception were examined simultaneously. Methods Pupil responses to a long and short wavelength light over a range of intensities (under conditions of light, mesopic and dark adaptation) were recorded using a customized infrared computerized pupillometer. Results were compared for two groups: patients with retinitis pigmentosa and controls. The response function threshold intensity and a half-max intensity was determined from the rod-weighted and cone-weighted pupil responses and correlated to extent of visual loss. The pupil response to light offset was assessed as a measure of direct melanopsin activation. Lastly, pupil responses to red and blue light at equal photo flux were recorded hourly during a 24-hour period and correlated to salivary melatonin concentrations in healthy subjects. Results In normal eyes, the blue light evoked greater pupil responses compared to equiluminant red light. With increasing intensity, pupil contraction became more sustained which was most apparent with the brightest blue light. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, the pupil responses mediated predominantly by rod and cone activation were significantly reduced compared to controls, (p<0.001) and the relative decrease in their contribution resulted in a greater influence of melanopsin on the post-stimulus response. Even at endstage retinal degeneration, pupil responses that derived predominantly from residual cone activity were detectable. The threshold intensity of the rod-mediated, but not cone-mediated, pupil response was also significantly reduced (p=0.006) in patients and the half-maximal intensity of rods correlated with severity of visual loss (r2=0.7 and p=0.02). In healthy controls, the melanopsin-mediated pupil response demonstrated a circadian modulation whereas the cone-mediated pupil response did not. Conclusion Early and progressive loss of rod function in mild-moderate stages of retinitis pigmentosa is detectable and quantifiable as a progressive loss of pupillary sensitivity to extremely dim blue lights obtained under conditions of dark adaptation. In advanced stages of retinal degeneration, chromatic pupillometry is more sensitive than standard electroretinography for detecting residual levels of rod and especially cone activity. In addition, selective wavelength pupillometry can assess non-visual light-dependent functions. The timing of the post-stimulus pupil response to blue light is in phase with melatonin secretion, suggesting a circadian regulation of this pupil parameter. / Bakgrund Jätteganglieceller (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, ipRGCs) är en klass av fotoreceptorer som utnyttjar ett unikt vitamin-A-baserat fotopigment som kallas melanopsin. Utöver deras direkta ljuskänslighet, mottar ipRGCs stimulerande och hämmande synaptiska signaler från andra fotoreceptorer (tappar och stavar) som därigenom kan modulera aktiviteten hos ipRGCs. Ögats pupillreflex medieras alltså av ljus både via yttre (stavar och tappar) och inre (melanopsin-medierad) retinal fotoreception, och den gemensamma afferenta pupillomotor-signalen leds till den pretectala nucleus olivarius via axoner från ipRGCs. Arbetet i denna avhandling syftar till att utveckla ett kliniskt pupilltest som ger kvantitativ information om yttre och inre retinala fotoreceptorers funktionella status hos friska försökspersoner och patienter med retinal degeneration. Förutom att styra pupillreflexen, skickar ipRGCs även impulser som påverkar kroppens dygnsrytm. Därför ingår även en delstudie i vilken ipRGCs aktivitet studeras genom att avläsa icke-visuella fysiologiska reaktioner på inre retinal fotoreception. Metoder Ljus av lång (röd) respektive kort (blå) våglängd presenterades med stegvis ökad ljusstyrka för att selektivt stimulera stavar, tappar eller melanopsin. Pupillreaktionerna registrerades med en infraröd datoriserad pupillometer och jämfördes mellan friska kontroller och patienter med retinitis pigmentosa. I uppföljande experiment gjordes mer noggranna tester i syfte att isolera aktiveringen av varje ljusmottagande element. Tröskelintensiteten för stav- eller tapp-medierad pupillreaktion bestämdes med linjär regressionsanalys. Reaktionskurvan för stavmedierad pupillreflex kvantifierades (halv-maximal intensitet) och jämfördes med svårighetsgraden av sjukdomen i två familjer med samma sjukdomsframkallande mutation för retinitis pigmentosa. För att undersöka icke-visuella reaktioner på inre fotoreception från ipRGCs, undersöktes pupillreaktion på rött och blått ljus varje timme under en 24-timmarsperiod och korrelerades till melatoninkoncentration i saliv hos friska personer med normal syn. Resultat I normala ögon, gav blått ljus en kraftigare pupillreaktion jämfört med rött ljus av samma ljusstyrka. Med ökande intensitet, blev pupillkontraktionen mer ihållande, vilket var tydligast med starkt blått ljus. Hos patienter med retinitis pigmentosa, var både tapp- och stav-medierad pupillreaktion signifikant reducerad jämfört med kontroller, (p<0,001). Patienter med avancerad sjukdom och icke-reaktivt elektro-retinogram hade fortfarande mätbar pupillreflex, huvudsakligen härrörande från kvarvarande stavaktivitet. I två familjer med retinitis pigmentosa beroende på en enda missense-mutation av NR2E3 genen, var tröskelvärdet för stavmedierad pupillreflex signifikant reducerat (p= 0,006) och korrelerade till sjukdomens svårighetsgrad. Tappmedierad pupillreflex hos dessa patienter skilde sig dock inte signifikant från kontroller, trots att fotopiskt (tapp) elektroretinogram var klart avvikande. Hos friska kontroller visade melanopsinmedierat pupillsvar en dygnsvariation medan tapp-medierat pupillsvar inte gjorde det. Slutsatser Som tillägg till standardundersökningar kan selektiv våglängds-pupillometri (kromatisk pupillometri) vara användbart för utvärdering av funktionen hos stavar och tappar. Denna avhandling visar att tidig och gradvis förlust av stav-funktion i milt-måttligt stadium av retinitis pigmentosa är detekterbar och mätbar som en progressiv förlust av pupillens känslighet för mycket svagt blått ljus, efter mörkeradaptation. I avancerade stadier av retinal degeneration är kromatisk pupillometri känsligare än standardelektroretinografi för att detektera kvarvarande nivåer av stav- och speciellt tapp-aktivitet. Hos unga patienter, där elektroretinografi kan vara tekniskt svårt, är pupillometri en lovande teknik för att värdera yttre retinal fotoreception relaterad till synfunktion. Dessutom kan selektiv våglängdspupillometri ge information om icke-visuella ljusberoende funktioner. Pupillreaktionen på blått ljus varierar med melatoninsekretionen, vilket tyder på en cirkadisk reglering. Ytterligare studier krävs för att undersöka om selektiv våglängds-pupillometri även kan användas i samband med sjukdomar relaterade till störd dygnsrytm, som sömnlöshet och årstidsbunden depression.

The diploma thesis deals with selected aspects of education of individuals with special educational needs - pupils with mental disabilities. The theoretical part of the thesis provides an insight into the life of individuals with mental disabilities, describes problems of the target group from the viewpoint of special pedagogy and from the school's viewpoint. Practical part of the diploma thesis provides an insight into a selected school, to show the positives and the problems through the participants in education - pupils with mental disabilities, teachers and parents. The aim of the research is to characterize problems and situations, and to describe the pitfalls of pupils' education in the selected practical school. In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary to collect information about the education proces in the chosen school, to show the pupils' lives and their problems. Then we can make recommendations on improving pupils' support, including the school environment. The diploma thesis is also intended to support students interested in the education in the school - parents and pupils. In the diploma thesis, the methodology of mixed design was used. KEYWORDS Education, pupil, mental handicap, practical school, pupil attitudes

The problem of this study was to determine and analyze the relationships between teacher morale as determined by the Group Dimensions Descriptions Questionnaire and the ability to establish rapport with pupils as determined by the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory. The purpose of this study was to discover possible implications from the relationships between teacher morale and the ability to establish rapport with pupils and other selected personal and professional characteristics.

The concept of return on investment for public education requires an understanding of the cumulative impact of resources employed to educate a student over time. The State of Vermont presented a unique opportunity to measure the return on investment as indicated by student outcomes. The governance structure of Vermont school districts allowed the identification of investments at the local school level, thereby enabling a match between the outcomes for 1355 students on the New Standards Reference Exam and cumulative investments over time. The longitudinal study examined the relationship between the cumulative investment made during the first eight years of school and student outcomes based upon three assessment points, in fourth, eighth and tenth grades for students within the sample. The study included an examination of the relationship between poverty, investments and student outcomes, indicated included Free or Reduced Lunch eligibility and Adjusted Gross Income. The study also examined the relationship between student performance and responses to the Opportunity to Learn Survey, assessing the student‟s perception of their school. Vermont Department of Education databases included financial investments from 1997 through 2004 and matched student outcomes on the New Standards Reference Exam in 2000, 2004, and 2006 in both English and Language Arts and Math. The results analysis indicated statistically significant relationships between student outcomes and investment which grew over time, and when the investments were more closely related to direct instruction on students, and were especially evident in math. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant relationship between levels of investment and outcomes for students within the same economic group and between students‟ responses to the Opportunity to Learn survey and investment levels. The results of this study provide legislators and policy makers with longitudinal clarification regarding the relationship between per pupil investment and student outcomes.

Title: Bullying in Basic Schools: Solving the Problem from Pupil's Point of View Abstract: This diploma thesis deals with bullying at primary schools. The theoretical section describes the definition of bullying, bullying division, the stages of bullying, its protagonists, and the procedure of current best practice in the prevention and eradication of bullying. The aim of the empirical part is find out how effective The Minimal Preventive Programme is in one particular Prague primary school. Research was carried out through interviews. This paper presents views and ideas of how to solve the problem of bullying from the student's point of view. The results of the research show that the goals in bullying prevention have been fulfilled. The school prevents bullying, teachers and students are sufficiently confident in this issue. Keywords: bullying, teacher, pupil, basic school

This diploma thesis deals with the pupil's solving of learning tasks from biology at grammar schools. Five components of learning tasks were compiled on the basis of the Tollinger taxonomy. Each file tests a different category of Tollinger learning tasks. The main aim of the thesis was to find out which types of learning tasks are preferred by students. The aim of the thesis was based on a questionnaire of pupils as well as on an interview with a biology teacher at the grammar school.

O exame oftálmico, em aves, demanda conhecimentos sobre as particularidades do olho e de seus anexos, já que, por exemplo, a predominância de fibras musculares estriadas, na íris, impede a obtenção de midríase com fármacos convencionais, como parassimpatolíticos e simpatomiméticos. Objetivando-se estabelecer protocolo efetivo e seguro para a obtenção de midríase em duas espécies de papagaios do gênero Amazona, optou-se por utilizar a aplicação tópica do brometo de rocurônio (10 mg/ml), em ambos os olhos. Foram avaliados 12 papagaios-verdadeiros (Amazona aestiva) e 12 papagaios-do-mangue (Amazona amazônica), adultos, com sexo indeterminado, sadios e sem oftalmopatias, os quais foram submetidos a três protocolos com doses crescentes de rocurônio, aplicadas com pipeta: ROC1 (instilação única de 20 &micro;l); ROC2 (instilação dupla de 20 &micro;l, a cada 15 minutos) e ROC3 (instilação tripla de 20 &micro;l, a cada 15 minutos). Presença ou não de resposta pupilar à luz (RPL) por estímulo direto com transiluminador de Finoff e mensuração do diâmetro pupilar com paquímetro digital foram verificadas antes (M0) e após os tratamentos, nos tempos de 15 (M15), 30 (M30), 45 (M45), 60 (M60), 120 (M120), 180 (M180), 240 (M240), 300 (M300) e 360 (M360) minutos, assim como após 24 horas (M24H). A ocorrência de sinais adversos locais e sistêmicos foi monitorada durante os períodos de avaliação. Quanto ao diâmetro pupilar, diferenças significativas (p<0,05) foram observadas comparando-se ROC1 com ROC2, em M45 e M60 e, em ROC1 com ROC3, de M15 a M60, nos papagaios-verdadeiros. Nos papagaios-do-mangue, diferenças foram observadas comparando-se ROC1 com ROC2 e ROC1 com ROC3, de M15 a M360. Em relação aos protocolos ROC2 com ROC3, diferenças estiveram presentes em M15, M30 e M120. RPL diminuída foi observada em 16,7% dos papagaios-verdadeiros e 25% dos papagaios-do-mangue, em ROC1; ausência foi manifesta por dois papagaios-verdadeiros (16,7%). Em ROC2, diminuição da intensidade da RPL ocorreu em 50% dos papagaios-verdadeiros e 25% dos papagaios-do-mangue; RPL foi ausente em um papagaio-verdadeiro (8,3%) e 25% dos papagaios-do-mangue. Em ROC3, verificou-se resposta pupilar atenuada em 25% dos papagaios-verdadeiros e dos papagaios-do-mangue; a mesma esteve ausente em dois papagaios-verdadeiros (16,7%) e 41,7% dos papagaios-do-mangue. Diferenças significativas quanto ao parâmetro, entre os três protocolos, não foram observadas nos papagaios-verdadeiros; já nos papagaios-do-mangue, ocorreram entre ROC1 e ROC3, de M15 a M120. Efeitos adversos locais não foram verificados e dentre os sistêmicos, constatou-se somente paralisia palpebral transitória em graus variáveis. Em ROC1, paralisia ocorreu em um papagaio-verdadeiro (8,3%); com ROC2, em 33,3% dos papagaios-verdadeiros e 16,7% dos papagaios-do-mangue e, em ROC3, em 50% dos papagaios-verdadeiros e 58,3% dos papagaios-do-mangue. Diferenças significativas (p<0,05) quanto à paralisia palpebral, não foram observadas entre ROC1 e ROC2, nos papagaios-verdadeiros, sendo identificadas em M15, à comparação de ROC1 com ROC3. Nos papagaios-do-mangue, ocorreram entre ROC1 e ROC3 e ROC2 e ROC3, em M15. Os resultados permitiram concluir que midríase superior e duradoura foi obtida nos protocolos ROC2 e ROC3, considerados mais efetivos e relativamente seguros mediante a ocorrência de efeitos colaterais brandos / The ophthalmic examination in birds demands knowledge about the ophthalmic particularities. For example, the predominance of striated muscle fibers in the iris prevents mydriasis with conventional drugs, such as parasympatholytic and sympathomimetics. The purpose of this study was to establish an effective and safe protocol to obtain mydriases in two species of parrots (Amazona aestiva and Amazona amazonica) by the topical application of rocuronium bromide (10 mg/ml) in both eyes. Twelve blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) and twelve orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica), adults, with undetermined sex, healthy and without ocular diseases, were submitted to three protocols with different doses of rocuronium, applied with a pipette: ROC1 (20 &micro;l of rocuronium, single dose), ROC2 (20 &micro;l of rocuronium, two doses with 15 minutes apart) and ROC3 (20 &micro;l of rocuronium, three doses with 15 minutes apart). Pupillary light reflex (PLR) was tested by direct stimulation with Finoff transilluminator and pupillary diameter was measured with digital caliper before (M0) and after treatments in times of 15 (M15), 30 (M30), 45 (M45), 60 (M60), 120 (M120), 180 (M180), 240 (M240), 300 (M300) and 360 (M360) minutes, and after 24 hours (M24H). The occurrence of local and systemic adverse signs was monitored. Considering pupillary diameter, significant differences (p <0.05) were observed comparing ROC1 with ROC2, in M45 and M60, and ROC1 with ROC3, M15 to M60, in Amazona aestiva. Differences were observed comparing ROC1 with ROC2 and ROC1 with ROC3, from M15 to M360, in Amazona amazonica. Regarding ROC2 with ROC3 protocols, there were differences in M15, M30 and M120. Diminished PLR was observed in 16.7% of Amazona aestiva and in 25% of Amazona amazonica, in ROC1; absence was manifested by 16.7% of Amazona aestiva. In ROC2, decreased PLR occurred in 50% of Amazona aestiva and 25% of Amazona amazonica; PLR was absent in one Amazona aestiva (8.3%) and 25% of Amazona amazonica. In ROC3, there was attenuated pupillary reflex in 25% of both species, and absent in 16,7% of Amazona aestiva and 41.7% of Amazona amazonica. Significant differences between the three protocols were not observed in Amazona aestiva, however, in Amazona amazonica, there was significant difference between ROC1 and ROC3, from M15 to M120. Local adverse effects were not observed. Regarding to systemic effects, only transient lower eyelid paresis was noted in varying degrees. In ROC1, paresis occurred in one Amazona aestiva (8.3%), in ROC2, in 33.3% of Amazona aestiva and 16,7% of Amazona amazonica, in ROC3, in 50% of Amazona aestiva and 58.3%. of Amazona amazonica. Significant differences (p<0.05) regarding palpebral paresis were not observed between ROC1 with ROC2, in Amazona aestiva, but they were identified in M15, comparing ROC1 with ROC3. In Amazona amazonica, differences occurred in M15, comparing ROC 1 with ROC3 and ROC2 with ROC3. The results of this study indicate that a greater and more lasting mydriasis was obtained in ROC2 and ROC3. These two protocols were considered most effective and relatively safe because of mild side effects manifested

This diploma thesis is focused on motivation of pupils in physical education classes at elementary school. Its aim is to find out how teachers motivate their pupils in PE classes and what response these pupils give to this motivation. In the theoretical part some terms and theories concerning motivation and its use in PE classes are mentioned. In the practical part, I focused on observing motivational elements in PE classes and their subsequent analysis. The research was carried out at two elementary schools - ZŠ Mníšek pod Brdy and ZŠ Stará Huť. It took place amongst pupils from 1st to 5th year.

Facilitating opportunities for children and young people to be involved in the decisions made about them fits with current legislation (United Nations, 1989), and has been found to improve motivation and self-esteem (Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008; Griebler and Nowak 2012). The researcher asserts that, due to the nature of their difficulties, people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be prone to lack such opportunities. Examination access arrangements decisions are the focus of the study described in the second paper. The first paper describes a systematic literature review of methods used to elicit the views of students with ASD. The second paper reports a case-based action research project which involves students in organising their examination access arrangements. Participants include three year 7 students and two members of staff across two secondary schools. There is a lack of research which includes the views of those with ASD. Semi-structured interviews seemed to be the most popular data gathering method, but focus groups and electronic diaries have also been used with this group. There was a positive impact of involving students with ASD in organising their access arrangements. Advice was given regarding coping with resource limitations in this area, and provision commonly useful for students with ASD before and during examinations. More research is needed which involves participants with ASD and reflection on the suitability of their methods for this group. Findings from the action research project indicate that involving young people with ASD in deciding on their examination access arrangements can support more comprehensive identification of assessment needs. In order to increase the impact of this research, the findings were disseminated using the strategies outlined to those who may have a role in putting the findings into practice.