School Effects on the Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents

Well-being is a multidimensional construct, with psychological, physical and social components. As theoretical basis to help understand this concept and how it relates to school, we propose the Self-Determination Theory, which contends that self-determined motivation and personality integration, growth and well-being are dependent on a healthy balance of three innate psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence. Thus, current indicators involve school effects on children’s well-being, in many diverse modalities which have been explored. Some are described in this chapter, mainly: the importance of peer relationships; the benefits of friendship; the effects of schools in conjunction with some forms of family influence; the school climate in terms of safety and physical ecology; the relevance of the teacher input; the school goal structure and the implementation of cooperative learning. All these parameters have an influence in promoting optimal functioning among children and increasing their well-being by meeting the above mentioned needs. The empirical support for the importance of schools indicates significant small effects, which often translate into important real-life effects as it is admitted at present. The conclusion is that schools do make a difference in children’s peer relationships and well-being

Modélisation de la qualité des stations et de la croissance individuelle des arbres dans des peuplements purs et mélangés de Pinus brutia dans le nord-est de la Grèce

International audienc

Physiology and pathophysiology of the vasopressin-regulated renal water reabsorption

To prevent dehydration, terrestrial animals and humans have developed a sensitive and versatile system to maintain their water homeostasis. In states of hypernatremia or hypovolemia, the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin (AVP) is released from the pituitary and binds its type-2 receptor in renal principal cells. This triggers an intracellular cAMP signaling cascade, which phosphorylates aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and targets the channel to the apical plasma membrane. Driven by an osmotic gradient, pro-urinary water then passes the membrane through AQP2 and leaves the cell on the basolateral side via AQP3 and AQP4 water channels. When water homeostasis is restored, AVP levels decline, and AQP2 is internalized from the plasma membrane, leaving the plasma membrane watertight again. The action of AVP is counterbalanced by several hormones like prostaglandin E2, bradykinin, dopamine, endothelin-1, acetylcholine, epidermal growth factor, and purines. Moreover, AQP2 is strongly involved in the pathophysiology of disorders characterized by renal concentrating defects, as well as conditions associated with severe water retention. This review focuses on our recent increase in understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AVP-regulated renal water transport in both health and disease

Aggression, deviance, and personality adaptation as antecedents and consequences of alienation and involvement in high school

Alienation from, or involvement in, the social and educational systems of the high school are investigated in an effort to determine the extent that school experiences may influence aggressive and deviant behavior in school and personality styles or orientations. Drawing upon longitudinal data collected from 250 boys followed from grades 8 through 12, potential antecedent-consequence relationships between dimensions of alienation and involvement and these two basic types of student outcomes are examined by cross-lagged panel analyses. Differences between cross-lagged panel correlations provide evidence that student reactions and attachments to school manifest relationships with aggression, deviance, and personality, serving as both antecedents and consequences of these student adaptations. The major findings provide evidence that (1) boys who more frequently break school rules and engage in aggressive or deviant behavior may often come to have more negative attitudes toward school staff and less involvement in school; and (2) student involvement and participation in school life can influence certain aspects of adolescent personality. Possible evidence of reciprocal causation is presented and discussed, as are additional theoretical and methodological implications of the data.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45259/1/10964_2005_Article_BF01537471.pd

A Laboratory-based Nonlinear Dynamics Course for Science and Engineering Students

We describe the implementation of a new laboratory-based interdisciplinary undergraduate course on nonlinear dynamical systems. Geometrical methods and data visualization techniques are especially emphasized. A novel feature of the course is a required laboratory where the students analyze the behavior of a number of dynamical systems. Most of the laboratory experiments can be economically implemented using equipment available in many introductory physics microcomputer-based laboratories