Different Perspectives on Emotion Regulation and its Efficiency

In the present article, diverse definitions, theoretical background, and contemporary research findings from the emotion regulation (ER) field are brought together alongside its open dilemmas. A clearer categorization of emotion and ER perspectives is offered: neurobiological perspective in which ER is a set of neurobiological processes that influence the emotion experience and expression; socio-constructivist perspective in which ER is influenced by socio-cultural expectations; and cognitive perspective that places ER at any situation-attention-appraisal-response sequence. Further, two contemporary models of ER are described and evaluated, followed by a presentation of the research findings regarding certain ER strategies, especially reappraisal and suppression. ER strategies are presented regarding their associations with other psycho-social characteristics. Also, efficiency of ER strategies is discussed further, proposing four criteria that should be considered simultaneously: functionality (goal orientation), adaptability (including social acceptance), automatization, and flexibility. In conclusion, some directions for the future ER research are outlined.</p

An Overview of Conventional and Emerging Analytical Methods for the Determination of Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are a group of compounds produced by various fungi and excreted into the matrices on which they grow, often food intended for human consumption or animal feed. The high toxicity and carcinogenicity of these compounds and their ability to cause various pathological conditions has led to widespread screening of foods and feeds potentially polluted with them. Maximum permissible levels in different matrices have also been established for some toxins. As these are quite low, analytical methods for determination of mycotoxins have to be both sensitive and specific. In addition, an appropriate sample preparation and pre-concentration method is needed to isolate analytes from rather complicated samples. In this article, an overview of methods for analysis and sample preparation published in the last ten years is given for the most often encountered mycotoxins in different samples, mainly in food. Special emphasis is on liquid chromatography with fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection, while in the field of sample preparation various solid-phase extraction approaches are discussed. However, an overview of other analytical and sample preparation methods less often used is also given. Finally, different matrices where mycotoxins have to be determined are discussed with the emphasis on their specific characteristics important for the analysis (human food and beverages, animal feed, biological samples, environmental samples). Various issues important for accurate qualitative and quantitative analyses are critically discussed: sampling and choice of representative sample, sample preparation and possible bias associated with it, specificity of the analytical method and critical evaluation of results

Određivanje nekih organoklorovih spojeva u crvenoj kani (Lawsonia inermis) i čaju (Thea sinensis)

Henna (Lawsonia inermis) has been used for centuries as a herbal hair and skin dye, but very little is known about its additives and contaminants that could adversely affect human health. An analytical method was developed to determine organochlorine compounds in henna, as they are still widely used in the areas where henna is grown. Samples were sonicated with n-hexane, extracts cleansed on Florisil sorbent and analysed using gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The overall recoveries were 17-33 % with the extraction RSD 5-21 %, while the levels of lindane (gamma-HCH), p,p’-DDT, and p,p’-DDE in henna samples were 7-157 µg kg-1. The same procedure was successfully applied to analyse black tea samples for the same compounds, and which showed lower contamination.Kana (Lawsonia inermis) jest biljka koja se već stoljećima primjenjuje za bojenje kose i kože, pa ipak se veoma malo zna o mogućim dodacima i onečišćenjima u njoj, koji bi mogli štetno utjecati na ljudsko zdravlje. Razradili smo analitičku metodu za određivanje organoklorovih spojeva u prašku kane, jer se oni kao insekticidi još često primjenjuju u područjima gdje kana raste. Uzorke kane smo ekstrahirali u ultrazvučnoj kupelji n-heksanom, a ekstrakte smo pročistili na sorbensu Florisilu® i analizirali plinskom kromatografijom. Analitički povrati bili su od 17 % do 33 % s ponovljivošću (RSD) 5-21 %. Razine lindana (gama-HCH), p,p’-DDTa i p,p’-DDE-a u uzorcima kane bile su 7-157 µg kg-1. Iste analitičke postupke uspješno smo primijenili i na određivanje tih spojeva u uzorcima čaja (Thea sinensis), koji su se pokazali manje onečišćenima. Primijenjena analitička metoda može se smatrati prikladnom za brzo preliminarno detektiranje i utvrđivanje masenih udjela organoklorovih spojeva u uzorcima kane i čaja

Kreativni pokret u učionici kao unapređenje funkcioniranja učenika u različitim područjima

The study focuses on students’ emotion expression during geometry teaching including creative movement (experimental group or EG) and without it (control group or CG). The sample (N = 104) was made up of primary school (second-grade) students: 66 were assigned to the EG and 38 to the CG. Of these, 12 students from the EG and 8 from the CG were randomly selected for observation of emotion: type, intensity, triggering situation, and response of others. For the observed students, the intensity of emotion expression was also measured by the facial expression recognition software FaceReader. All of the students self-assessed their contentedness with the teaching. The students in the EG and the CG expressed various emotions, with joy being the most prevalent, followed by anger. The most frequent situations triggering joy were activities in the EG and the CG. The intensity of joy was higher in the EG than in the CG when assessed by observation, but there was no significant difference when assessed by FaceReader. The intensity of anger expression was at a similar level in both groups. Both students and teachers responded to students’ joy expression, but only the students responded to anger expression in the EG and the CG. The students in both groups expressed a high level of contentedness with the teaching.Kreativni pokret predstavlja aktivan pristup učenju koji studentima omogućuje da kroz pokret i ples izraze i kreiraju različite obrazovne sadržaje. Predstavlja mogućnost integriranja umjetnosti i pokreta u proces učenja. U studijskoj godini 2015./16. provedeno je istraživanje, uključujući i učenike drugog razreda osnovne škole (N = 104) tijekom nastave Matematike (geometrije). Studijom se pokušalo utvrditi utvrditi kako je korištenje kreativnoga pokreta povezano s funkcioniranjem učenika u različitim područjima: kognitivnom, socijalnom, emocionalnom, tijelu/fizičkom. Te su veze uspostavljene usporedbom skupine učenika u kojoj je provedena nastava, integrirajući kreativni pokret (eksperimentalnu skupinu) s grupom učenika u kojoj nastava nije uključivala kreativni pokret (kontrolna skupina). Podaci su prikupljeni različitim mjernim instrumentima, dok je tjelesna aktivnost mjerena narukvicama BodyMedia Core. Rezultati, između ostalog, pokazuju visoko zadovoljstvo nastavnim programom kod obje skupine učenika, ali veća potrošnja energije i dugoročno poznavanje geometrije u eksperimentalnoj grupi učenika poučavanih korištenjem kreativnoga pokreta

Kreativni pokret u učionici kao unapređenje funkcioniranja učenika u različitim područjima

The study focuses on students’ emotion expression during geometry teaching including creative movement (experimental group or EG) and without it (control group or CG). The sample (N = 104) was made up of primary school (second-grade) students: 66 were assigned to the EG and 38 to the CG. Of these, 12 students from the EG and 8 from the CG were randomly selected for observation of emotion: type, intensity, triggering situation, and response of others. For the observed students, the intensity of emotion expression was also measured by the facial expression recognition software FaceReader. All of the students self-assessed their contentedness with the teaching. The students in the EG and the CG expressed various emotions, with joy being the most prevalent, followed by anger. The most frequent situations triggering joy were activities in the EG and the CG. The intensity of joy was higher in the EG than in the CG when assessed by observation, but there was no significant difference when assessed by FaceReader. The intensity of anger expression was at a similar level in both groups. Both students and teachers responded to students’ joy expression, but only the students responded to anger expression in the EG and the CG. The students in both groups expressed a high level of contentedness with the teaching.Kreativni pokret predstavlja aktivan pristup učenju koji studentima omogućuje da kroz pokret i ples izraze i kreiraju različite obrazovne sadržaje. Predstavlja mogućnost integriranja umjetnosti i pokreta u proces učenja. U studijskoj godini 2015./16. provedeno je istraživanje, uključujući i učenike drugog razreda osnovne škole (N = 104) tijekom nastave Matematike (geometrije). Studijom se pokušalo utvrditi utvrditi kako je korištenje kreativnoga pokreta povezano s funkcioniranjem učenika u različitim područjima: kognitivnom, socijalnom, emocionalnom, tijelu/fizičkom. Te su veze uspostavljene usporedbom skupine učenika u kojoj je provedena nastava, integrirajući kreativni pokret (eksperimentalnu skupinu) s grupom učenika u kojoj nastava nije uključivala kreativni pokret (kontrolna skupina). Podaci su prikupljeni različitim mjernim instrumentima, dok je tjelesna aktivnost mjerena narukvicama BodyMedia Core. Rezultati, između ostalog, pokazuju visoko zadovoljstvo nastavnim programom kod obje skupine učenika, ali veća potrošnja energije i dugoročno poznavanje geometrije u eksperimentalnoj grupi učenika poučavanih korištenjem kreativnoga pokreta

Executive function in different groups of university students

The present study analyses the executive function (EF) skills of 369 students of primary education (n = 116), preschool education (n = 72), social pedagogy (n = 54), and biology (n = 128). It explores how the different groups of students use selected executive skills and whether there are any differences between the groups in this respect. Eleven EF skills were self-assessed using the Executive Skills Questionnaire for Students (Dawson & Guare, 2010). All of the groups of students experienced difficulties rarely to sometimes when using EF skills. The groups of students demonstrated similar use of EF skills for Response Inhibition, Working Memory, Emotional Control, Planning, Meta-Cognition, and Goal Persistence, whereas significant differences appeared in Sustained Attention, Task Initiation, Organisation, Time Management, and Flexibility. In cases where differences appeared, the primary education students stood out as having the fewest difficulties with EF skills, while the biology and social pedagogy students reported the most difficulties. Given that executive functioning is important for students’ academic achievement, their everyday functioning, and their future work, university study programmes should encourage the development of EF skills among students by offering knowledge about them and supporting their efficient use

Ličnost i kognitivne sposobnosti kao prediktori akademskog uspjeha studenata sveučilišta

In the current study the students\u27 big five personality traits and specific cognitive abilities were included in predicting their academic achievement: grade point average (GPA) and grades from specific subjects. Two generations of first-year faculty students participated in the research: 203 students of primary education and 80 students of social pedagogy. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, non-verbal cognitive abilities, included in the first step of analyses, accounted significantly for 4% of the variance in grade in "science and mathematics" for primary education students, whereas verbal cognitive abilities explained 7% of variance in the GPA of social pedagogy students. The big five personality traits, included in the second step of analyses, significantly improved the prediction of grade in "psychology and didactics", for primary education students and overall grades for social pedagogy students, relative to the predictions based only on the cognitive abilities tests. Among the big five personality traits, measured with BFQ (Caprara et al., 1997), conscientiousness was the only significant predictor of certain grades for both student groups.Pet velikih dimenzija ličnosti i specifične kognitivne sposobnosti studenata upotrijebljene su u ovoj studiji za predviđanje njihova akademskog uspjeha: prosjek ocjena i ocjena iz pojedinih kolegija. Dvije generacije studenata prve godine fakulteta sudjelovale su u istraživanju: 203 studenta razredne nastave i 80 studenata socijalne pedagogije. Hijerarhijskom regresijskom analizom, neverbalne su kognitivne sposobnosti, uključene u prvom koraku analize, objasnile 4% varijance ocjena iz "znanosti i matematike" studenata razredne nastave, dok su verbalne kognitivne sposobnosti objasnile 7% varijance prosjeka ocjena studenata socijalne pedagogije. Pet velikih dimenzija ličnosti, koje su uključene u drugom koraku analize, značajno su poboljšale predviđanje ocjena iz "psihologije i didaktike" studenata razredne nastave i ukupnih ocjena studenata socijalne pedagogije, u odnosu na predviđanja koja se temelje samo na testovima kognitivnih sposobnosti. Među pet velikih dimenzija ličnosti, mjerenih uz pomoć BFQ (Caprara i sur., 1997.), savjesnost je bila jedini značajan prediktor pojedinih ocjena za studente obiju skupina

Determination of shelf life of Chelidonium majus, Sambucus nigra, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus serpyllum herbal tinctures by various stability-indicating tests

Stability testing of herbal preparations has recently been recognized as essential for quality control to support their shelf life. Various stability-indicating tests were assessed for their predictive power in herbal tincture stability testing and compared to reference quantitative determination of marker compounds. Herbs from Western herbal medicine with different active constituents were selected: Chelidonium majus, Sambucus nigra flowers, Thymus serpyllum and Thymus vulgaris. Their freshly prepared and commercially available tinctures were tested for stability under normal and accelerated conditions. Quantitative chromatographic assays were developed for chelidonine in Chelidonium tincture, for isoquercitrin, rutin and quercetin in Sambucus tinctures, and for thymol in Thymus tinctures. Additional procedures were assessed for their predictive power on tincture stability: chromatographic profiling, spectrophotometric evaluation of tincture colour, DPPH antioxidant assay. With the exception of the DPPH assay in Sambucus tincture, none of the assessed stability-indicating tests was satisfactory in comparison with reference determination. Sambucus tincture was stable for more than six months, while Chelidonium and Thymus tinctures were stable for less than 1.5 months with the decrease in marker compound >10%. Compound borneol is proposed as a marker for the deterioration of Thymus tinctures. Chelidonium tincture was additionally tested for its stability on UV and visible light. Chelidonine degrades in the tincture under the visible light. The results of the present study implicate that the only assays suitable for stability testing of different tinctures are those that determine concentration of the active compounds or some active compound-linked property of the tincture

Teachers’ emotional expression in interaction with students of different ages

Emotions are an integral part of “classroom life” and are experienced in teacher-student interactions quite often (Hosotani & Imai-Matsumura, 2011). The present study focuses on teachers’ emotions in classrooms. Its purpose is to establish which emotions are expressed by teachers in their interactions with students, the triggering situations of the two most frequent emotions, and their level of intensity and suitability. Teachers’ emotions were observed by students of primary education during their practical experience work, in grades one to five. They used a scheme constructed for observing different aspects of emotions. The observations of 108 teachers in 93 primary schools from various Slovenian regions were gathered. The results show that primary school teachers express various pleasant and unpleasant emotions, with unpleasant emotions prevailing. The average frequency of teachers’ emotion expression decreased from grade one to five. Anger was the most frequently expressed emotion (N= 261), followed by joy (N = 151). Teachers’ anger and joy were triggered in different situations: anger predominantly when students lacked discipline and joy predominantly in situations of students’ academic achievement. The intensity of expressed anger and joy was moderate in all five grades, while the assessed suitability of these two emotions was high. (DIPF/Orig.