Why children differ in motivation to learn: Insights from over 13,000 twins from 6 countries.

Little is known about why people differ in their levels of academic motivation. This study explored the etiology of individual differences in enjoyment and self-perceived ability for several school subjects in nearly 13,000 twins aged 9 to 16 from 6 countries. The results showed a striking consistency across ages, school subjects, and cultures. Contrary to common belief, enjoyment of learning and children’s perceptions of their competence were no less heritable than cognitive ability. Genetic factors explained approximately 40% of the variance and all of the observed twins’ similarity in academic motivation. Shared environmental factors, such as home or classroom, did not contribute to the twin’s similarityin academic motivation.Environmental influences stemmedentirely from individual specific experiences

Why do we differ in number sense? Evidence from a genetically sensitive investigation

Basic intellectual abilities of quantity and numerosity estimation have been detected across animal species. Such abilities are referred to as ‘number sense’. For human species, individual differences in number sense are detectable early in life, persist in later development, and relate to general intelligence. The origins of these individual differences are unknown. To address this question, we conducted the first large-scale genetically sensitive investigation of number sense, assessing numerosity discrimination abilities in 837 pairs of monozygotic and 1422 pairs of dizygotic 16-year-old twin pairs. Univariate genetic analysis of the twin data revealed that number sense is modestly heritable (32%), with individual differences being largely explained by non-shared environmental influences (68%) and no contribution from shared environmental factors. Sex-Limitation model fitting revealed no differences between males and females in the etiology of individual differences in number sense abilities. We also carried out Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) that estimates the population variance explained by additive effects of DNA differences among unrelated individuals. For 1118 unrelated individuals in our sample with genotyping information on 1.7 million DNA markers, GCTA estimated zero heritability for number sense, unlike other cognitive abilities in the same twin study where the GCTA heritability estimates were about 25%. The low heritability of number sense, observed in this study, is consistent with the directional selection explanation whereby additive genetic variance for evolutionary important traits is reduced

[Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop of the Lower Cretaceous Cephalopod Team (IGCP-Project 362) / Peter F. Rawson and Philip J. Hoedemaeker (editors)]: Substantiation of the Barremian/Aptian boundary

This paper focuses on the Barremian/Aptian boundary in the Trans-Caspian area. Results of a stratigraphical study of the uppermost Barremian and the lower Aptian succession in the Trans-Caspian area are presented. The bed-by-bed description of three sections — Keldzhe, Tekedzhik and Utuludzha — is given as well as detailed lithologic columns. Five ammonite zones are known in the studied stratigraphic interval — the Turkmeniceras turkmenicum, Deshayesites tuarkyricus, D. weissi, D. deshayesi, and Dufrenoya furcata zones. These zones are correlated with those of Europe. The Barremian/Aptian boundary in the Trans-Caspian area should be drawn at the base of the D. tuarkyricus Zone. It corresponds to the layers with the first occurrences of Deshayesites, Prodeshayesites and Paradeshayesites in Europe. It is proposed here to situate the boundary stratotype in the Utuludzha section, where the beds containing zonal representatives of the T. turkmenicum and D. tuarkyricus Zones are almost adjacent

On the Barremian-Early Albian biogeography (by ammonites) of Colombia

On the basis of new and published palaeontological and stratigraphical data, the qualitative and quantitative variations in the Barremian-early Albian ammonite fauna of Colombia have been documented and analyzed. The position adopted here is that in the early Barremian the Andean Province became replaced by the Caribbean Subprovince in Colombia. The Caribbean Subprovince became separated as an independent unit from the Andean Province on the generic level (Buergliceras, Pedioceras), but especially on the species level. In the middle/upper Aptian many new endemic genera and subgenera appeared; Juandurhamiceras, Neodeshayesites, Laqueoceras, Zambranoites, Riedelites and Pseudoptychoceras. Besides, many endemic middle Aptian species of other, non-endemic genera appeared. Beginning from the middle Aptian the Caribbean area was a separate biogeographic enitity with the rank of Province; the Colombian region is considered to be the core area of the Caribbean Province

Development and validation of atazanavir and ritonavir determination in human plasma by HPLC-MS method

Introduction. HIV infection is one of the most relevant diseases from a medical, epidemiological and social point of view. Timely diagnosis, detection and control of the disease, adequate prescription of antiretroviral therapy can sufficiently reduce the viral load on the patient's body, reduce the risk of transmission of infection. Currently, combinations of various antiretroviral drugs are increasingly being prescribed as therapy. One of the most important is combination of atazanavir and ritonavir. The most important stage for the study of pharmacokinetics, studies of comparative pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence is the development of an analytical method that allows you to determine the investigated substances in human plasma. There are currently no published methods for the determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in human plasma using high performance liquid chromatography with mass selective detection using a single quadrupole mass detector. In this article presents the development and validation of a method for the determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in blood plasma after sample preparation by the method of protein precipitation. Aim. The aim of the study is to develop a method for the quantitative determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in human plasma by HPLC with mass spectrometric detection for performing the analytical part of pharmacokinetic studies. Materials and methods. Determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in human plasma by HPLC with mass spectrometric detection. A sample was prepared using protein deposition. Results and discussion. The method was validated of selectivity, matrix effect, calibration curve, accuracy, precision, limit of quantification, carry-over effect and sample stability. Conclusion. The method of the determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in human plasma was developed and validated by HPLC-MS. The analytical range of the was 50.0–10000.0 ng/mL in plasma for atazanavir and 10.0–2500.0 ng/mL in plasma for ritonavir. Method could be applied to determination of atazanavir and ritonavir in plasma for PK and BE studies. © Komarov T. N., Shohin I. E., Miskiv O. A., Bogdanova D. S., Aleshina A. V., Medvedev Yu. V., Bagaeva N. S., 2020