Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kindergarten Teacher Autonomy in High and Low Socioeconomic Environments

Kindergarten teachers are immersed in a high stakes educational environment and this environment has altered how kindergarten teachers must teach. Exploring the different distribution of autonomy in high and low-income groups contributes to the research about educational equity. This study examined the relationship between income level of teaching environment and kindergarten teachers’ levels of self-perceived autonomy. The research question that guided this study was: do kindergarten teachers in higher income schools experience greater levels of self-perceived autonomy than kindergarten teachers in low-income schools? The Teaching Autonomy Scale developed by Pearson & Hall (1993) was used to survey 91 kindergarten teacher participants from 31 states. The findings showed a significant gap in self-perceived autonomy between the two socioeconomic groups. Kindergarten teachers in high-income school environments had significantly higher self-perceived autonomy than kindergarten teachers in low-income environments. The findings contribute to the body of research about teacher selfperceived autonomy and the effects of school level income.
Effect of Dioxane on N-(4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-N’- phenylthiocarbamide

In present times, the drugs containing S-triazino and thiocarbamido nucleus created their own identity and im- portance in medicinal, pharmaceutical and industrial fields due to their ability of curing wide range of diseases caused by various pathogens. These types of drugs showed remarkable and noticeable antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activi- ties. Hence, viscometric, refractrometric and interferometric measurements of recently synthesized compound have been investigated at 25°C in 60% dioxane-water system at various concentrations. The results obtained in these studies evi- dently explain polarizability, mutual compensation of dipoles and solute-solvent interactions. The values of acoustic pa- rameters are useful for cross justification of solute-solvent interactions. These results are most indispensable for knowing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of any drug. An absorption, transmission, metabolism and excretion of any drug depend on solute-solvent, solute-solute-solvent and solute-solvent-solvent interactions, taking all these things into consideration this research work was carried out.
Carbon Emissions and Economic Growth: Homogeneous Causality in Heterogeneous Panels

This paper introduces the concept of homogeneous non-causality in heterogeneous panels. This concept is used to examine a panel of data for evidence of a causal relationship between GDP and carbon emissions. The technique is compared to the standard test for homogeneous non-causality in homogeneous panels and heterogeneous non-causality in heterogeneous panels. In North America, Asia and Oceania the homogeneous non-causality hypothesis that CO2 emissions does not Granger cause GDP cannot be rejected if heterogeneity is allowed for in the data-generating process. In North America the homogeneous non-causality hypothesis that GDP does not cause CO2 emissions cannot be rejected either.
Dietary intake of antioxidant (pro)-vitamins, respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function: the MORGEN study

BACKGROUND A study was undertaken to investigate the relationships between the intake of the antioxidant (pro)-vitamins C, E and β-carotene and the presence of respiratory symptoms and lung function. METHODS Complete data were collected in a cross sectional study in a random sample of the Dutch population on 6555 adults during 1994 and 1995. Antioxidant intake was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm, productive cough, wheeze, shortness of breath) were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Prevalence odds ratios for symptoms were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Linear regression analysis was used for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). The results are presented as a comparison between the 90th and 10th percentiles of antioxidant intake. RESULTS Vitamin C intake was not associated with most symptoms but was inversely related with cough. Subjects with a high intake of vitamin C had a 53 ml (95% CI 23 to 83) higher FEV1 and 79 ml (95% CI 42 to 116) higher FVC than those with a low vitamin C intake. Vitamin E intake showed no association with most symptoms and lung function, but had a positive association with productive cough. The intake of β-carotene was not associated with most symptoms but had a positive association with wheeze. However, subjects with a high intake of β-carotene had a 60 ml (95% CI 31 to 89) higher FEV1 and 75 ml (95% CI 40 to 110) higher FVC than those with a low intake of β-carotene. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that a high intake of vitamin C or β-carotene is protective for FEV1 and FVC compared with a low intake, but not for respiratory symptoms.
How can health systems respond to population ageing

Policy context: - All countries in Europe are experiencing an ageing of their populations, with a decrease in the number of people of working age per retiree. - Health trends among the elderly are mixed: severe disability is declining in some countries but increasing in others, while mild disability and chronic disease are generally increasing. - A declining working-age population will generate less income for health and pension systems. While expenditure on long-term care is certain to increase with the ageing of the population, the effects on health care expenditure are disputed. It is clear that if appropriate measures are implemented in time, population ageing does not inevitably lead to significantly higher health care expenditure. Policy options: Ensuring an adequate response from health systems. - A better coordination of care across health and social services, as well as across different levels of health care is seen as crucial. - As many older people remain in hospital inappropriately, a number of measures can be applied to allow for more treatments out of hospital. - Measures that reduce the risk of disease and promote the maintenance of function, confidence and engagement can support healthy ageing and ease the pressure on health care systems. Most notable are health promotion and disease prevention programmes that target the main causes of morbidity and premature mortality, in particular obesity and hypertension, as well as mental health. - These measures should include physical exercise and social involvement. The period from middle age onwards is particularly important for these activities and interventions. Building adequate systems of long-term care. Ensuring an appropriate combination of settings for long-term care that includes both formal and informal care is regarded as crucial. Supporting economic and social integration. - The decline in the share of the population of working age that will have to finance the health system can be addressed by measures that enable more older people to remain in the labour force. - Policies in support of healthy ageing also need to address the need for the continued social engagement of elderly people.
Using dietetic assistants to improve the outcome of hip fracture: a randomised controlled trial of nutritional support in an acute trauma ward.

OBJECTIVE To examine how improved attention to nutritional status and dietary intake, achieved through the employment of dietetic assistants (DAs), will affect postoperative clinical outcome among elderly women with hip fracture. DESIGN Open prospective randomised controlled trial, comparing conventional nursing care with the additional nutritional support provided by DA. SETTING Thirty-eight bedded acute trauma ward in a teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS All but 11 of 344 consecutive admissions with acute nonpathological hip fracture were approached. Three hundred and eighteen (93%) agreed to inclusion. Sixteen were ineligible as they were immediately transferred to another acute ward, were managed conservatively or died preoperatively. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE Postoperative mortality in the acute trauma unit. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Postoperative mortality at 4 months after fracture, length of stay, energy intake and nutritional status. RESULTS DA-supported participants were less likely to die in the acute ward (4.1 versus 10.1%, P = 0.048). This effect was still apparent at 4 month follow-up (13.1 versus 22.9%, P = 0.036). DA-supported subjects had significantly better mean daily energy intake (1,105 kcal versus 756 kcal/24 h, 95% CI 259-440 kcal/24 h, P<0.001), significantly smaller reduction in mid-arm circumference during their inpatient stay (0.39 cm, P = 0.002) and nonsignificantly favourable results for other anthropometric and laboratory measurements. CONCLUSION Dietetic or nutrition assistants are being introduced in units across the UK. This, the largest ever study of nutritional support after hip fracture, shows that their employment significantly reduced patients' risk of dying in the acute trauma unit; an effect that persisted at 4 month follow-up.
Caudate nucleus-dependent navigational strategies are associated with increased use of addictive drugs

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between navigational strategies and the use of abused substances in a sample of healthy young adults. Navigational strategies were assessed with the 4‐on‐8 virtual maze (4/8VM), a task previously shown to dissociate between hippocampal‐dependent spatial navigational strategies and caudate nucleus‐dependent stimulus‐response navigational strategies. Spatial strategies involve learning the spatial relationships between the landmarks in an environment, while response learning strategies involve learning a rigid set of stimulus‐response type associations, e.g., see the tree, turn left. We have shown that spatial learners have increased gray matter and fMRI activity in the hippocampus compared with response learners, while response learners have increased gray matter and fMRI activity in the caudate nucleus. We were interested in the prevalence of use of substances of abuse in spatial and response learners because of the evidence that people who score high on traits such as novelty seeking, sensation seeking, reward seeking, and impulsivity, are more cue‐responsive and more likely to use substances of abuse. Since response learners show increased activity and gray matter in the caudate nucleus of the striatum, which is a brain area involved in addiction, we hypothesized that response learners would have a greater use of abused substances than spatial learners. Fifty‐five young adults were tested on the 4/8VM and completed a time‐line follow‐back assessment of drug and alcohol use. We found that response learners had smoked a significantly greater number of cigarettes in their lifetime than spatial learners, were more likely to have used cannabis, and had double the lifetime alcohol consumption. We discuss the possible relationship between substance abuse and response strategies as well as the implications for the hippocampus, risks of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and healthy cognition. © 2013 The Authors. Hippocampus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Heritability of specific cognitive functions and associations with schizophrenia spectrum disorders using CANTAB: a nation-wide twin study

Abstract Background Many cognitive functions are under strong genetic control and twin studies have demonstrated genetic overlap between some aspects of cognition and schizophrenia. How the genetic relationship between specific cognitive functions and schizophrenia is influenced by IQ is currently unknown. Methods We applied selected tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to examine the heritability of specific cognitive functions and associations with schizophrenia liability. Verbal and performance IQ were estimated using The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and the Danish Adult Reading Test. In total, 214 twins including monozygotic (MZ = 32) and dizygotic (DZ = 22) pairs concordant or discordant for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, and healthy control pairs (MZ = 29, DZ = 20) were recruited through the Danish national registers. Additionally, eight twins from affected pairs participated without their sibling. Results Significant heritability was observed for planning/spatial span (h2 = 25%), self-ordered spatial working memory (h2 = 64%), sustained attention (h2 = 56%), and movement time (h2 = 47%), whereas only unique environmental factors contributed to set-shifting, reflection impulsivity, and thinking time. Schizophrenia liability was associated with planning/spatial span (rph = −0.34), self-ordered spatial working memory (rph = −0.24), sustained attention (rph = −0.23), and set-shifting (rph = −0.21). The association with planning/spatial span was not driven by either performance or verbal IQ. The remaining associations were shared with performance, but not verbal IQ. Conclusions This study provides further evidence that some cognitive functions are heritable and associated with schizophrenia, suggesting a partially shared genetic etiology. These functions may constitute endophenotypes for the disorder and provide a basis to explore genes common to cognition and schizophrenia.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Cefquinome (Cobactan 2.5%) following Repeated Intramuscular Administrations in Sheep and Goats

The comparative pharmacokinetic profile of cefquinome was studied in sheep and goats following repeated intramuscular (IM) administrations of 2 mg/kg body weight. Cefquinome concentrations in serum were determined by microbiological assay technique using Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 9341) as test organism. Following intramuscular injection of cefquinome in sheep and goats, the disposition curves were best described by two-compartment open model in both sheep and goats. The pharmacokinetics of cefquinome did not differ significantly between sheep and goats; similar intramuscular dose rate of cefquinome should therefore be applicable to both species. On comparing the data of serum levels of repeated intramuscular injections with first intramuscular injection, it was revealed that repeated intramuscular injections of cefquinome have cumulative effect in both species sheep and goats. The in vitro serum protein-binding tendency was 15.65% in sheep and 14.42% in goats. The serum concentrations of cefquinome along 24 h after injection in this study were exceeding the MICs of different susceptible microorganisms responsible for serious disease problems. These findings indicate successful use of cefquinome in sheep and goats.
Individual differences in competent consumer choice: the role of cognitive reflection and numeracy skills

In this paper, we investigate whether cognitive reflection and numeracy skills affect the quality of the consumers’ decision-making process in a purchase decision context. In a first (field) experiment, an identical product was on sale in two shops with different initial prices and discounts. One of the two deals was better than the other and the consumers were asked to choose the best one and to describe which arithmetic operations they used to solve the problem; then they were asked to complete the numeracy scale (Lipkus et al., 2001). The choice procedures used by the consumers were classified as “complete decision approach” when all the arithmetic operations needed to solve the problem were computed, and as “partial decision approach” when only some operations were computed. A mediation model shows that higher numeracy is associated with use of the complete decision approach. In turn, this approach is positively associated with the quality of the purchase decision. Given that these findings highlight the importance of the decision processes, in a second (laboratory) experiment we used a supplementary method to study the type of information search used by the participants: eye-tracking. In this experiment the participants were presented with decision problems similar to those used in Experiment 1 and they completed the Lipkus numeracy scale and the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT; Frederick, 2005). Participants with a high CRT score chose the best deal more frequently, and showed a more profound and detailed information search pattern compared to participants with a low CRT score. Overall, results indicate that higher levels of cognitive reflection and numeracy skills predict the use of a more thorough decision process (measured with two different techniques: retrospective verbal reports and eye movements). In both experiments the decision process is a crucial factor which greatly affects the quality of the purchase decision.
Impact of Dietary Gluten on Regulatory T Cells and Th17 Cells in BALB/c Mice

Dietary gluten influences the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and a gluten-free (GF) diet has a protective effect on the development of T1D. Gluten may influence T1D due to its direct effect on intestinal immunity; however, these mechanisms have not been adequately studied. We studied the effect of a GF diet compared to a gluten-containing standard (STD) diet on selected T cell subsets, associated with regulatory functions as well as proinflammatory Th17 cells, in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, we assessed diet-induced changes in the expression of various T cell markers, and determined if changes were confined to intestinal or non-intestinal lymphoid compartments. The gluten-containing STD diet led to a significantly decreased proportion of γδ T cells in all lymphoid compartments studied, although an increase was detected in some γδ T cell subsets (CD8+, CD103+). Further, it decreased the proportion of CD4+CD62L+ T cells in Peyer's patches. Interestingly, no diet-induced changes were found among CD4+Foxp3+ T cells or CD3+CD49b+cells (NKT cells) and CD3−CD49b+ (NK) cells. Mice fed the STD diet showed increased proportions of CD4+CD45RBhigh+ and CD103+ T cells and a lower proportion of CD4+CD45RBlow+ T cells in both mucosal and non-mucosal compartments. The Th17 cell population, associated with the development of autoimmunity, was substantially increased in pancreatic lymph nodes of mice fed the STD diet. Collectively, our data indicate that dietary gluten influences multiple regulatory T cell subsets as well as Th17 cells in mucosal lymphoid tissue while fewer differences were observed in non-mucosal lymphoid compartments.
The Correlation of Cognitive Decline with Frontotemporal Dementia Induced Annualized Gray Matter Loss Using Diffeomorphic Morphometry

This study uses large deformation medical image registration to analyze, in a disease-specific normalized space, the annual rate of gray matter atrophy caused by frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and its correlation with cognitive decline. The analysis consists of three parts. First, a labeled structural MRI atlas is deformed into the shape of an average FTD brain. Second, annualized FTD-related atrophy of gray matter structures is estimated for each patient in the database. Third, the group-wise annualized atrophy rate caused by FTD is correlated, for each gray matter voxel, with declining performance on cognitive tests. This study gives insight into the relationship between FTD-related progressive cortical atrophy and loss in cognitive function.
School Performance and Resource Use: The Role of Districts in New York City

This study examines the role of school sub-city districts in determining the performance/efficiency of their member schools. The study identifies low and high performing schools and sub-city districts using a three- year panel of data on New York City elementary and middle schools. The results suggest that districts "matter" to school performance, even when they have no revenue raising responsibility. The implication is that accountability systems need to be designed to recognize the role of school districts, and hold them accountable for their performance as well.
Halo(natrono)archaea isolated from hypersaline lakes utilize cellulose and chitin as growth substrates

Until recently, extremely halophilic euryarchaeota were considered mostly as aerobic heterotrophs utilizing simple organic compounds as growth substrates. Almost nothing is known on the ability of these prokaryotes to utilize complex polysaccharides, such as cellulose, xylan, and chitin. Although few haloarchaeal cellulases and chitinases were recently characterized, the analysis of currently available haloarchaeal genomes deciphered numerous genes-encoding glycosidases of various families including endoglucanases and chitinases. However, all these haloarchaea were isolated and cultivated on simple substrates and their ability to grow on polysaccharides in situ or in vitro is unknown. This study examines several halo(natrono)archaeal strains from geographically distant hypersaline lakes for the ability to grow on insoluble polymers as a sole growth substrate in salt-saturated mineral media. Some of them belonged to known taxa, while other represented novel phylogenetic lineages within the class Halobacteria. All isolates produced extracellular extremely salt-tolerant cellulases or chitinases, either cell-free or cell-bound. Obtained results demonstrate a presence of diverse populations of haloarchaeal cellulo/chitinotrophs in hypersaline habitats indicating that euryarchaea participate in aerobic mineralization of recalcitrant organic polymers in salt-saturated environments.
The determinants of life satisfaction in Serbia: Findings from the Gallup World Poll

Research on life satisfaction in non-Western countries has grown somewhat in recent years, but still lags far behind that of developed countries. The present study was aimed at investigating determinants of life satisfaction in Serbia, a developing country that has experienced a number of difficulties over the past three decades. A large, representative Serbian sample (a total of 11,618 participants; 54.6% females, M age = 47.02) from the Gallup World Poll was used. The results showed substantial gender differences in life satisfaction only among the oldest old (aged 81-99), with elderly women reporting substantially lower life satisfaction than elderly men (Cohen’s d = 0.38). Life satisfaction showed a steady, progressive decline among women, whereas men’s life satisfaction declined until approximately 50 years of age, and then remained relatively stable. The relationship between income and life satisfaction was positive, but much stronger at lower income levels. Robust predictors of life satisfaction in both men and women and across age groups were satisfaction with standard of living and household income, negative affect, and social support.
A Coupled Phase-Temperature Model for Dynamics of Transient Neuronal Signal in Mammals Cold Receptor

We propose a theoretical model consisting of coupled differential equation of membrane potential phase and temperature for describing the neuronal signal in mammals cold receptor. Based on the results from previous work by Roper et al., we modified a nonstochastic phase model for cold receptor neuronal signaling dynamics in mammals. We introduce a new set of temperature adjusted functional parameters which allow saturation characteristic at high and low steady temperatures. The modified model also accommodates the transient neuronal signaling process from high to low temperature by introducing a nonlinear differential equation for the “effective temperature” changes which is coupled to the phase differential equation. This simple model can be considered as a candidate for describing qualitatively the physical mechanism of the corresponding transient process.