The article presents research about the use of genetic algorithms in the analysis of the interrelation among curriculum courses in higher education. The authors used genetic algorithms as a method to analyse the influence that achieved grades in predictors' courses have on achieved grades in dependent courses as well as to observe whether the genetic algorithms can contribute to improving the curriculum. The research was based on a set of data related to the success of students from the Faculty of Information Technologies at the University 'Džemal Bijediae' in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim was to anticipate students' grades based on the grades they obtained in previous semester's courses. This research should help educational institutions to evaluate the suitability of the sequence of courses within the curriculum in order to enable personalized learning paths, make the teaching processes more efficient, and promote a balanced curriculum. Namely, a good curriculum can attract new students, improve the success rate of enrolled students, and increase the quality and visibility of the institution. Since the genetic algorithm is search techniques for handling complex spaces, we can use it for the research at each stage of the educational process. Analyses of quantitative data using a genetic algorithm can help educational institutions improve the quality of teaching.

: This paper presents the authentication method using the Delaunay triangulation incremental algorithm and the Catalan objects. The proposed method is a combination of computational geometry and cryptography. This method presents a new step towards encoding the triangle coordinates using the Catalan-key. We provided specific suggestions for the application of this method in the authentication for bank clients by the image encryption. Client authentication verification is performed by asking the client to enter the (x,y) coordinate values of randomly selected indices of an array. If the entered coordinates match the index values in the banking system array, then the transaction or other operation is approved. If the matching fails, it means that we have an unidentified person who has followed the whole process and wants to break into the banking system. There are many advantages arising from a scenario for the user authentication by the assigned Catalan object and the stack permutation method. Also, we provided concrete examples for the Delaunay encryption of image with an authentication scenario and experimental results for the proposed method.

Abstract:Fingerspelling and its relationship with literacy skills among deaf and hard of hearing children who use American Sign Language is an increasingly popular research topic. However, there is limited research on whether reading interventions that systematically include fingerspelling are more effective for improving literacy skills than reading interventions that do not. In an adapted alternating-treatment single-case study, the authors contrasted the number of words learned under three conditions: a productive fingerspelling condition, in which word reading was taught through activities that emphasized productive fingerspelling; a chaining condition, in which teachers chained written words with receptive fingerspelling; and a sign-to-print condition, in which fingerspelling was not used. Five of the 6 participants learned most of the words taught with no differentiation by condition. Participants could recognize and fingerspell taught words, even if those words were not taught via fingerspelling.

Abstract:The authors provide guidelines, based on an extensive review of the international literature, for conducting, interpreting, and reporting primary and secondary research on children who are deaf and hard of hearing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purpose of the review is to present arguments in support of conceptualizing education and rehabilitation, to explore the educational implications of such conceptualizations, and to suggest directions for future inquiry. Problematic areas are covered, such as research on the structure of a signed language, the use of information technology, inclusion, vocational and professional orientation, and motoric abilities and skills. The article concludes with recommendations for further investigating the educational achievement of students who are deaf and hard of hearing so as to improve educational practice.

Background: Medicines dispensing is an error-prone activity, therefore potentially jeopardizing patient safety. This study aimed to assess the community pharmacists’ attitudes towards the causes of dispensing errors and preventive measures, as well as their practice in incidents reporting. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed by distributing an adopted and validated questionnaire to a nationwide sample of community pharmacists in Serbia. The questionnaire included sections related to the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, their attitudes towards factors causing dispensing errors and corrective actions, as well as their practice in reporting. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS Statistics software ver. 21.0. The associations between categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: The study included 1,004 participants, mainly female (94.9%), with the mean age 40.9±9.9 years and mean work experience 14.3±10.0 years. More than a third of the participants (35.4%) indicated an increasing risk of dispensing errors. The main causes included illegible prescriber‘s handwriting (44.3%) and interruptions during dispensing (39.2%), while the major corrective actions were providing pharmacists with education in clinical pharmacy (71%) and reducing the interruptions during dispensing (63.9%). The majority of respondents (85.2%) stated that they routinely reported dispensing incidents. However, even 16.5% of them admitted to having fear sometimes or always. Additionally, only 58.1% of participants would use voluntary dispensing error reporting system. Conclusion: Serbian community pharmacists are aware of the existing risk in medicines dispensing and the corrective actions identified should be put into practice so as to manage them prospectively. Although the results indicate good practice in incidents reporting, conducting tailored educations and building of safety culture is necessary to improve patient safety.