This paper reports a two-year longitudinal study of the effects of cooperative learning on science attainment, attitudes towards science, and social connectedness during transition from primary to ...high school. A previous project on cooperative learning in primary schools observed gains in science understanding and in social aspects of school life. This project followed 204 children involved in the previous project and 440 comparison children who were not as they undertook transition from 24 primary schools to 16 high schools. Cognitive, affective, and social gains observed in the original project survived transition. The implications improving the effectiveness of school transition by using cooperative learning initiatives are explored. Possibilities for future research and the implications for practice and policy are discussed.
Context:
The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and complex disease without a clear pattern of inheritance. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has an inhibitory effect on FSH-stimulated follicle ...growth. Serum AMH levels are higher in women with PCOS than in normo-ovulatory women. The elevated AMH levels may reflect abnormalities in AMH signaling.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of the anti-Müllerian hormone receptor 2 (AMHR2) −482 A>G polymorphism (rs2002555) with the pathophysiology of PCOS.
Design:
AMHR2 −482 A>G polymorphism genotyping were performed in a large cohort of women with PCOS and in a healthy control group.
Setting/Subjects:
A total of 858 Caucasian Greek women with PCOS and 309 healthy control women were studied.
Interventions:
Genotyping and hormonal measurements were preformed.
Main Outcome Measures:
Hormone levels in women with PCOS were analyzed.
Results:
The AMHR2 polymorphism was more common in women with PCOS than in control women (P = .026). Homozygous AMHR2 −482 A>G gene polymorphisms (GG) were associated with decreased levels of LH (P = .003) and lower LH to FSH ratios (P = .01) in women with PCOS, as well as with lower prolactin levels (P = .004). No other associations related to AMHR2 −482 A>G polymorphisms were observed in women with PCOS or control women.
Conclusion:
In this study, the role of the AMHR2 −482 A>G gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of PCOS was suggested by the association of the variant with PCOS risk. Thus, further research is needed to elucidate a possible association of the AMHR2 −482 A>G gene polymorphism with AMH signaling and impaired ovarian function and its clinical significance in women with PCOS.
This paper reports a two year longitudinal study of the effects of cooperative learning on science attainment, attitudes towards science and social connectedness during transition from primary to ...high school. A previous project on cooperative learning in primary schools observed gains in science understanding and in social aspects of school life. This project followed 204 children involved in the previous project and 440 comparison children who were not as they undertook transition from 24 primary to 16 high schools. Cognitive, affective and social gains observed in the original project survived transition. The implications improving the effectiveness of school transition by using cooperative learning initiatives are explored. Possibilities for future research and the implications for practice and policy are discussed.
The overall health of streams, including their surrounding urban or agricultural areas, is inextricably linked to general ecological balance and public health (physical and mental well-being). This ...study aims to contribute to the monitoring of rural or suburban areas adjacent to streams. Specifically, low-cost and rapid ground and Earth observation techniques were used to (a) obtain a rapid assessment of stream soil and water patterns, (b) create a database of selected parameters for the study area that can be used for future comparisons, and (c) identify soil variability in agricultural fields adjacent to streams and determine soil zones that will enable the rational use of inputs (water, fertilisers, and pesticides). Robust techniques from related fields of topography, geology, geophysics, and remote sensing were combined using GIS for two selected areas (I and II) in Heraklion, central Crete (Greece) in the eastern Mediterranean. Our results indicate that area I (east of Heraklion) is under pressure only in its coastal part, most probably due to urbanisation (land change). The agricultural fields of area II (west of Heraklion) show normal values for the distribution of electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility and present spatial variability indicating intra-parcel zones. Intra-parcel variability of the conductivity and magnetic susceptibility should be considered in future cropping and environmental management.
Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) occurs in a significant percentage of patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) and is associated with significant ...morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of serum angiopoetin-2 (Ang2) levels and the presence of antibodies against angiotensin II type 1 (AT1R) and ndothelin A Recreptor (ETAR) with the outcome of patients with TMA and/or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allo-SCT. Analysis of our data showed that elevated serum Ang2 levels at the time of TMA diagnosis are significantly associated with increased non-relapse mortality and decreased overall survival. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating an association between raised Ang2 levels and poor outcomes in patients with TMA. Antibodies against AT1R (AT1R-Abs) and ETAR (ETAR-Abs) were detected in 27% and 23% of the patients, respectively, but there was no association between the presence of autoantibodies and the outcome of patients with TMA. However, a significant finding was the strong positive correlation between the presence of AT1R-Abs with the occurrence of chronic fibrotic GVHD, such as scleroderma and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, raising the possibility of the contribution of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of fibrotic GVHD manifestations.
A simple and precise reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of 1-fluoronaphthalene and its process-related impurities, ...1-aminonaphthalene, 1-nitronaphthalene, naphthalene and 2-fluoronaphthalene. 1-Fluoronaphthalene is the key starting material for the synthesis of duloxetine hydrochloride active pharmaceutical ingredient and is therefore a potential impurity of the API. The determination of the impurity profile is critical for the safety assessment of a substance and manufacturing process thereof. In duloxetine hydrochloride active pharmaceutical ingredient, only 1-fluoronaphthalene is detected and neither of its related impurities of 1-aminonaphthalene, 1-nitronaphthalene, naphthalene and 2-fluoronaphthalene. Chromatography was carried out on a Symmetry C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column, using mobile phase A—a mixture of 0.01 Μ KH2PO4 buffer (pH 2.5 ± 0.1):methanol:acetonitrile in the ratio of 35:52:13 v/v/v and mobile phase B—a mixture of methanol:acetonitrile in the ratio of 80:20 v/v at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The analytes were monitored using photo diode array detector at 230 nm. The proposed method is found to be having linearity in the concentration of 0.075–5.000 μg/mL, 0.150–5.000 μg/mL, 0.3125–5.000 μg/mL and 0.3125–5.000 μg/mL for 1-aminonaphthalene, 1-nitronaphthalene, naphthalene and 2-fluoronaphthalene, respectively, with correlation coefficients of 0.9998, 0.9998, 0.9997 and 0.9997, respectively. The proposed method was validated as per the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The mean recoveries for all the studied impurities are in the range of 90–110%. Due to its specificity, high precision and accuracy, the developed method can be used for the determination of 1-fluoronaphthalene, key starting material for the synthesis of duloxetine hydrochloride API.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of an interdisciplinary program of Greek folk dance, with topics from history and geography on Middle School students’ goal orientation and anxiety ...level. The sample consisted of 260 students (134 boys & 126 girls). The experimental group (n=144) followed the interdisciplinary four-week program (two lessons per week) while the control group (n=126) followed the corresponding typical physical education program. For the data collection, the questionnaire used was the “Goal orientation” by Papaioannou, Milosis, Kosmidou, and Tsiggilis (2002) and the Greek version (Kakkos & Zervas, 1996) of “Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2” (Martens et al., 1990). The students filled in the questionnaires before and after their participating in each program. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and Repeated Measures ANOVA were used. Results showed that a. Cronbach’s alpha was satisfactory. b. Τhe experimental group decreased significantly the levels of “ego-strengthening” and “ego-protection”, and on the contrary significantly increase the “personal development”, and “social acceptance”. c. Experimental group’s boys and girls decreased their “ego-strengthening” and “ego-protection”, and enhanced their “personal development” and “social acceptance” more than their control group peers. d. The experimental group decreased the levels of somatic and cognitive anxieties and increased significantly their self-confidence. e. male students increased their self-confidence more than female students. These findings support the view that an interdisciplinary program of traditional Greek dance with issues from history and geography enable us to reduce the rates of ego-strengthening, ego-protection, somatic and cognitive anxiety while simultaneously increases students’ personal development, social acceptance, and self-confidence
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