Explaining cheating in schools with Situational Action Theory: Within-estimations using a German school panel

Wikström's Situational Action Theory (SAT) explains rule-breaking by reference to the cognitive perception-choice process, which indicates how a person's propensity to break rules interacts with the setting's criminogeneity. SAT's situational model claims that the interaction between personal morality and the moral norms of the setting, the so-called moral filter, is critical in the explanation of rule-breaking, and that the influence of self-control is subordinate to this process. Self-control becomes relevant when individuals whose personal morality discourages rule-breaking are exposed to settings in which the moral norms encourage rule-breaking, that is, if the moral filter is conflicted. Whereas most previous studies have equated the moral filter with personal morality, we consider the moral norms of the setting as well. This allows for a more rigorous test of the moral filter, and thus the conditionality of self-control. Here, we investigate student cheating, using data from two waves of a large-scale German school panel study, and we conceptualise the setting's moral norms by reference to the descriptive norm: other students’ cheating behaviour. This ensures the spatio-linkage between the setting's criminogeneity and rule-breaking, which is necessary for investigating SAT. Additionally, our estimation strategy - person and school fixed-effect models - controls for alternative explanations by the selection of people into settings with different levels of criminogeneity. Moreover, it controls for heterogeneity across persons and schools. The findings are in line with SAT's predictions. In cases of a correspondence between personal morality and the moral norms of a setting, students with rule-abiding morality are least likely to cheat, whereas students with a rule-breaking morality are the most likely to cheat. Also, in line with SAT, self-control only matters for students with rule-abiding morality when they are exposed to moral norms that encourage rule-breaking

Application of agronomic practice improves phytoextraction on a multipolluted site

In the context of a joint research project in collaboration with the municipal water works of Leipzig, BioPlanta optimizes the phytoremediation process. This Phytotechnology has been applied since 1996 to a former sewage sludge dewatering plant in Schladitz near Leipzig (Fig 1). At the time of closing in 1990 about 300,000 m3 of heavy metal‐ and hydrocarbon‐contaminated sludge were stored on this site. It is the biggest phytoremediation project of this kind in Europe. An extensive monitoring and analysis program was established to evaluate the progress of the remediation (ending in 2012). Up to now the contamination of the site could be considerably decreased. The removal of heavy metals sums up to several kilograms with an increasing tendency over the last years (Fig 2). The aim of ongoing research activities is to set up improved conditions for an even more efficient extraction of heavy metal ions from contaminated soil and sediments. Optimizing this process should reduce the remediation period by up to two thirds. The technology is to be implemented not only in the Leipzig region but also in future remediation projects. Agronominių priemonių taikymas, gerinant fitoekstrakciją įvairiais teršalais užterštose vietose Santrauka Vykdydama bendrą tiriamąjį projektą atliekant vandens tyrimus Leipcige BioPlanta optimizuoja fitoatkūrimo procesą. Ši fitotechnologija taikoma nuo 1996 metų ankstesnei iš nuotekų dumblo vandenį šalinančiai įrangai Šladice netoli Leipcigo (1 pav.). Uždarant įrangą 1990 metais apie 300 000 m3 dumblo, užteršto sunkiaisiais metalais ir angliavandeniliais, buvo sukaupta šiame sklype. Tai didžiausias tokio pobūdžio fitoatkūrimo projektas Europoje. Buvo sukurta plati monitoringo ir analizės programa siekiant įvertinti atkūrimo eigą (iki 2012 metų). Sklypo tarša galėjo labai sumažėti. Sunkiųjų metalų pašalinimas siekia daugiau kaip kelis kilogramus su didėjimo tendencija pastaraisiais metais (2 pav.). Tyrimo tikslas – sudaryti geresnes sąlygas dar efektyvesnei sunkiųjų metalų jonų ekstrakcijai iš užteršto dirvožemio ir nuosėdų. Optimizuojant šį procesą atkūrimo laikotarpis turėtų sutrumpėti iki dviejų trečdalių. Ši technologija turi būti įgyvendinama ateityje vykdant atkūrimo projektus. Reikšminiai žodžiai: fitoatkūrimas, metalų biogalimybės, augalų parinkimas, pasėlių priežiūra, augalų biomasė. Применение агрономических средств для улучшения фитоэкстракции в местах, загрязненных несколькими загрязнителями Резюме В результате сотрудничества с самоуправлением Лейпцига в создании общего проекта исследований по вопросам водных работ «БиоПланта» оптимизирует процесс фиторемедиации. Эта фитотехнология применялась в Шладице около Лейпцига с 1996 г. в оборудовании по удалению воды из ила сточных вод (Рис. 1). После 1990 г., когда упомянутое оборудование перестало применяться, на участке было собрано 300 000 м3 ила, загрязненного тяжелыми металлами и углеводородом. Это самый крупный проект фиторемедиации такого типа в Европе. Для оценки эффективности процесса восстановления до 2012 г. будет создана широкая программа мониторинга и анализа. Загрязнение этого места должно значительно уменьшиться. Загрязнение тяжелыми металлами составляет несколько килограммов, а в последние годы имеет тенденцию к увеличению (Рис. 2). Целью проводящихся исследований было создание лучших условий для более эффективной экстракции ионов тяжелых металлов из загрязненной почвы и осадков. В результате оптимизации этого процесса период восстановления должен уменьшиться. Названная технология должна быть внедрена в Лейпцигском регионе, а также внедряться в будущем при осуществлении восстановительных проектов. Ключевые слова: фиторемедиация, биовозможности металлов, подбор растений, уход за посевами, биомасса растений. First Published Online: 14 Oct 201

Efecto de la densidad de inóculo y la renovación de la atmósfera gaseosa en el cultivo de brotes de Digitalis purpurea L. en Sistemas de Inmersión Temporal

Digitalis purpurea L. is one of the two unique species of economic interest in the genus Digitalis. It is important because is one of the principal source of cardenolides, irreplaceable drugs in the treatment of heart failure. The present work was done with the objective to determinate the effect of inoculum density and gaseous atmosphere renovation in D. purpurea plants cultivated in Temporal Immersion Systems (TIS). To do this, several parameters like inoculums density (6, 12, 18 explants per TIS) and the use forced ventilation were studied. The highest biomass production was obtained when 12 explants were inoculated (104.03 gFW and 5.74 gDW). On the contrary, the lower inoculum density caused a negative effect in plant development and the biomass did not increase. On the other hand, the renovation of atmosphere mediated by forced ventilation induced a higher oxidative stress associated to an increase of digitoxin synthesis. Both factors are of great importance for biomass and secondary metabolites production in plants with pharmaceutical interest. Keywords: cardenolides, forced ventilation, liquid medium, secondary metabolitesDigitalis purpurea L. es una de las dos únicas especies de interés económico del género Digitalis. Su importancia radica en que constituye una de las principales fuentes de cardenólidos, fármacos irreemplazables en el tratamiento de la insuficiencia cardíaca. El presente trabajo se realizó con el objetivo de determinar el efecto de la densidad de inóculo y la renovación de la atmósfera gaseosa en sistemas de inmersión temporal (SIT) en Digitalis purpurea L. Para su cumplimiento, se estudiaron diferentes densidades de inóculo (6, 12, 18 explantes por SIT) en la producción de biomasa así como el uso de la ventilación forzada. La mayor producción de biomasa por SIT (104.03 gMF y 5.74 gMS) se obtuvo cuando se inocularon 12 explantes. Sin embargo, la menor densidad de inóculo produjo un efecto negativo en el desarrollo de los explantes y no hubo incremento de biomasa. La renovación de la atmósfera mediante la ventilación forzada indujo un mayor estrés oxidativo asociado a un aumento de la síntesis de digitoxina. Tanto la densidad de inóculo como la ventilación forzada son factores de gran importancia en el cultivo en sistemas de inmersión temporal ya sea para la producción de biomasa como para la obtención de metabolitos secundarios en plantas de interés

Producción de glicósidos cardiotónicos en Digitalis purpurea mediante el uso de sistemas de inmersión temporal

Digitalis purpurea, is an example of cardiotonic drug. Digoxin and digitoxin are glycosides produced by this plant which are cardiac stimulants with a wide use in the treatment of heart problems. The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of temporary immersion on biomass production and the content of cardiotonic glycosides (digitoxin and digoxin), determined by Liquid Cromatography. Biomass production was favoured by increasing the frequency of immersions. The highest value of fresh weight (106.2 g) and lower porcentage of hyperhydricity (27 %) were obtained with immersions of 2 minutes every 4 hours. The content of digoxin was always lower than digitoxin. However, the concentration of digoxin increases with 6 and 8 immersions per day, while the accumulation of digitoxin was stable in all treatments. The aeration rates did not increase the biomasss and the concentration of digoxine was nule, nevertheless the concentration of digitoxine increased up to 111μg g.DW. The effect of temporary immersion on glycosides accumulation in shoots of Digitalis purpurea presented in this paper has not been described in the literature till now.temporary immersionKeywords: digitoxin, digoxin, secondary metabolites,Digitalis purpurea, es un ejemplo de droga cardiotónica. La digoxina y digitoxina son glicósidos producidos por esta planta, los cuales ejercen una acción muy eficaz en músculos cardíacos y han sido usados ampliamente en tratamientos del corazón. El propósito de esta investigación fue estudiar el efecto de la aplicación de los sistemas de inmersión temporal en la producción de biomasa así como la acumulación de digitoxina y digoxina como metabolitos secundarios de gran interés en la industria farmacéutica, determinados mediante HPLC. La producción de biomasa se vio favorecida a medida que se incrementó la frecuencia de inmersiones. Los mayores valores de peso fresco (106.2 g) y brotes con menor porcentaje de hiperhidricidad (27%) se obtuvieron cuando se empelaron inmersiones de 2 minutos cada 4 horas. El contenido de digoxina fue siempre menor que el de digitoxina. No obstante, la concentración de este metabolito aumentó con el empleo de 6 y 8 inmersiones por día, mientras la producción de digitoxina fue muy estable en todos los tratamientos evaluados. El gaseado entre inmersiones no incrementó la biomasa y la concentración de digoxina fue nula, sin embargo la concentración de digitoxina se incrementó hasta 111 μg.g de masa seca. El efecto de la inmersión temporal en la formación de glicósidos en brotes de Digitalis purpurea no ha sido presentado anteriormente en la literatura especializada.Palabras clave: digitoxina, digoxina, inmersión temporal, metabolitos secundario

Efecto del cultivo in vitro en el perfil metabólico de Psidium guajava L.

The use of in vitro techniques for the production of secondary metabolites in the pharmaceutical industry has increased widely. The organ culture is one of the alternatives for the identification of new compounds or to increase the production of already known compound useful for the humanity. The aim of this work was to produce biomass of Psidium guajava L var ‘EEA18-40’ using shoot culture and to determine the effect of the in vitro culture in the metabolic profile of this spicies. Water content was higher in the plant material obtained in the shoots cultured in vitro compared to samples collected from plants grown in field. Yields of extracts were greater in shoots cultured in vitro. Expression profiles among leaves samples of plants grown in field were different in this species, obtaining a higher rate in the shoots culture.A number of 23 new compounds was detected . This is the first work that shows the metabolic profile of Psidium guajava in shoots cultured in vitro. It was demonstrated that the in vitro culture is a potential source for identification and production of new compounds.Key words: guava, mass spectrometry, organs culture, secondary metabolitesEl uso de las técnicas de cultivo in vitro para la producción de metabolitos secundarios de interés farmacéutico se ha incrementado ampliamente. El cultivo de órganos representa una alternativa interesante para la identificación de nuevos compuestos o para incrementar la producción de compuestos ya conocidos que sean de utilidad para la humanidad. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo producir in vitro biomasa de Psidium guajava mediante el cultivo de brotes y determinar el efecto del cultivo in vitro en el perfil metabólico de esta especie.Se comprobó que el contenido de agua fue mayor en el material vegetal obtenido en el cultivo de brotes in vitro con relación a las muestras obtenidas de plantas cultivadas en campo. Los rendimientos de los extractos resultaron mayores en los brotes cultivados in vitro. En esta especie los perfiles de expresión entre muestras de hojas de plantas en campo y brotes in vitro fueron distintos, siendo mayor la gama de compuestos obtenidos en el cultivo de brotes. Se detectaron 23 nuevos compuestos. Este es el primer trabajo que muestra el perfil metabólico de Psidium guajava en brotes cultivados in vitro demostrando que el cultivo in vitro es una fuente potencial para la identificación y producción de nuevos compuestos.Palabras clave: cultivo de órganos, espectrometría de masa, guayaba, metabolitos secundario

Characterization of two novel intronic OPA1 mutations resulting in aberrant pre-mRNA splicing.

BACKGROUND We report two novel splice region mutations in OPA1 in two unrelated families presenting with autosomal-dominant optic atrophy type 1 (ADOA1) (ADOA or Kjer type optic atrophy). Mutations in OPA1 encoding a mitochondrial inner membrane protein are a major cause of ADOA. METHODS We analyzed two unrelated families including four affected individuals clinically suspicious of ADOA. Standard ocular examinations were performed in affected individuals of both families. All coding exons, as well as exon-intron boundaries of the OPA1 gene were sequenced. In addition, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was performed to uncover copy number variations in OPA1. mRNA processing was monitored using RT-PCR and subsequent cDNA analysis. RESULTS We report two novel splice region mutations in OPA1 in two unrelated individuals and their affected relatives, which were previously not described in the literature. In one family the heterozygous insertion and deletion c.[611-37_611-38insACTGGAGAATGTAAAGGGCTTT;611-6_611-16delCATATTTATCT] was found in all investigated family members leading to the activation of an intronic cryptic splice site. In the second family sequencing of OPA1 disclosed a de novo heterozygous deletion c.2012+4_2012+7delAGTA resulting in exon 18 and 19 skipping, which was not detected in healthy family members. CONCLUSION We identified two novel intronic mutations in OPA1 affecting the correct OPA1 pre-mRNA splicing, which was confirmed by OPA1 cDNA analysis. This study shows the importance of transcript analysis to determine the consequences of unclear intronic mutations in OPA1 in proximity to the intron-exon boundaries

A roadmap to improve the quality of atrial fibrillation management:proceedings from the fifth Atrial Fibrillation Network/European Heart Rhythm Association consensus conference

At least 30 million people worldwide carry a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF), and many more suffer from undiagnosed, subclinical, or 'silent' AF. Atrial fibrillation-related cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, including cardiovascular deaths, heart failure, stroke, and hospitalizations, remain unacceptably high, even when evidence-based therapies such as anticoagulation and rate control are used. Furthermore, it is still necessary to define how best to prevent AF, largely due to a lack of clinical measures that would allow identification of treatable causes of AF in any given patient. Hence, there are important unmet clinical and research needs in the evaluation and management of AF patients. The ensuing needs and opportunities for improving the quality of AF care were discussed during the fifth Atrial Fibrillation Network/European Heart Rhythm Association consensus conference in Nice, France, on 22 and 23 January 2015. Here, we report the outcome of this conference, with a focus on (i) learning from our 'neighbours' to improve AF care, (ii) patient-centred approaches to AF management, (iii) structured care of AF patients, (iv) improving the quality of AF treatment, and (v) personalization of AF management. This report ends with a list of priorities for research in AF patients

Integrating new approaches to atrial fibrillation management: the 6th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference.

There are major challenges ahead for clinicians treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The population with AF is expected to expand considerably and yet, apart from anticoagulation, therapies used in AF have not been shown to consistently impact on mortality or reduce adverse cardiovascular events. New approaches to AF management, including the use of novel technologies and structured, integrated care, have the potential to enhance clinical phenotyping or result in better treatment selection and stratified therapy. Here, we report the outcomes of the 6th Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), held at the European Society of Cardiology Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France, 17-19 January 2017. Sixty-two global specialists in AF and 13 industry partners met to develop innovative solutions based on new approaches to screening and diagnosis, enhancing integration of AF care, developing clinical pathways for treating complex patients, improving stroke prevention strategies, and better patient selection for heart rate and rhythm control. Ultimately, these approaches can lead to better outcomes for patients with AF