Understanding the dynamics of study motivation: An in-depth analysis of teachers' perceptions in primary schools

Research has shown students’ study motivation is complex and demanding. It also asserts that teachers’ perceptions and attitudes are decisive, complex, and demanding because they need to make many choices about planning and handling lessons and review their fundamental beliefs about study motivation. We aimed to describe teachers’ perceptions of students’ study motivation. We collected the data from nine focus-group interviews with 26 Swedish teachers in five primary schools. Through reflexive thematic analysis, the following six themes of perceptions emerged: emotions, teachers, teaching, learning environment, family and friends, and health and well-being. Although many teachers assumed students have more intrinsic than extrinsic motivation, they described more extrinsic motivation factors. Changing factors of importance for study motivation are primarily background factors, things needed to feel and function in everyday life, such as good health, friends, and functioning relationships. The study’s results make an important contribution to understanding teachers as a starting point for understanding their didactic choices and how these choices can affect students, as well as how teaching could be changed to correspond more closely to students’ needs and conditions

Regeneration of long-distance peripheral nerve defects after delayed reconstruction in healthy and diabetic rats is supported by immunomodulatory chitosan nerve guides

Background: Delayed reconstruction of transection or laceration injuries of peripheral nerves is inflicted by a reduced regeneration capacity. Diabetic conditions, more frequently encountered in clinical practice, are known to further impair regeneration in peripheral nerves. Chitosan nerve guides (CNGs) have recently been introduced as a new generation of medical devices for immediate peripheral nerve reconstruction. Here, CNGs were used for 45 days delayed reconstruction of critical length 15 mm rat sciatic nerve defects in either healthy Wistar rats or diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats; the latter resembling type 2 diabetes. In short and long-term investigations, we comprehensively analyzed the performance of one-chambered hollow CNGs (hCNGs) and two-chambered CNGs (CFeCNGs) in which a chitosan film has been longitudinally introduced. Additionally, we investigated in vitro the immunomodulatory effect provided by the chitosan film. Results: Both types of nerve guides, i.e. hCNGs and CFeCNGs, enabled moderate morphological and functional nerve regeneration after reconstruction that was delayed for 45 days. These positive findings were detectable in generally healthy as well as in diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats (for the latter only in short-term studies). The regenerative outcome did not reach the degree as recently demonstrated after immediate reconstruction using hCNGs and CFeCNGs. CFeCNG-treatment, however, enabled tissue regrowth in all animals (hCNGs: only in 80% of animals). CFeCNGs did further support with an increased vascularization of the regenerated tissue and an enhanced regrowth of motor axons. One mechanism by which the CFeCNGs potentially support successful regeneration is an immunomodulatory effect induced by the chitosan film itself. Our in vitro results suggest that the pro-regenerative effect of chitosan is related to the differentiation of chitosan-adherent monocytes into pro-healing M2 macrophages. Conclusions: No considerable differences appear for the delayed nerve regeneration process related to healthy and diabetic conditions. Currently available chitosan nerve grafts do not support delayed nerve regeneration to the same extent as they do after immediate nerve reconstruction. The immunomodulatory characteristics of the biomaterial may, however, be crucial for their regeneration supportive effects

Grund eller djupare jordbearbetning i samband med sådd av höstvete efter höstraps

Denna rapport är en slutredovisning av det ettåriga pilotprojektet "Stimulering av höstrapshalmens förmåga till kvävefixering i jorden efter skörden för minskning av kväveutlakningsrisken" som finansierats av Stiftelsen Svensk Oljeväxtforskning. Med höstraps som förfrukt till höstvete ökar avkastningen och den goda kväveefterverkan kan också minska behovet av kvävegödsling till eftergrödan. Detta är fördelar, som dock i viss mån motverkas av större kväveutlakning under vinterhalvåret efter höstrapsskörden. Jordbearbetningen inför sådden av höstsäd har stor betydelse för anhopningen av utlakningsbart kväve i marken på hösten. Denna studie belyser hur olika sätt att bearbeta jorden och behandla halmen efter skörd av höstraps kan inverka på kvävemineraliseringen i marken på hösten i efterföljande höstvete. Syftet var att finna bästa möjliga sätt att etablera höstvete efter höstraps utan att stimulera kvävemineraliseringen i marken på hösten (och istället öka kväveimmobiliseringen) och därmed minska kväveutlakningsrisken samtidigt som högsta möjliga skördenivå bibehålls. Studien startades i augusti 2004 med skörd av höstraps och pågick fram till skörd av höstvete 2005. Försöket utfördes på Bjertorps egendom, Vara, Lanna försöksstation, med Rolf Tunared som ansvarig försöksledare

Tryggare kan ingen vara? : det sociala nätverkets betydelse för ungdomars känsla av trygghet

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the networks meaning for youths sense of safety. The main questions were: ¤ How can a network for a youth look like today? Is there any difference between boys or girls network? Which? ¤ What does safety mean for youths today? Is there any difference in the description of safety between boys and girls? ¤ Which part of the network constitutes the greatest feeling of safety? ¤ Who in the network constitutes the greatest feeling of safety? ¤ What contact does youths have with their network? ¤ What will the contact look like between the persons in the network? The study is based upon a qualitative method. I have used literature studies and I interviewed six youths; under the interviews I used maps of networks and I had the youths to write about safety with their own words. The result showed that the network has large meaning for youths sense of safety; seeing that safety for the youths are equal to have somebody who cares about them. The largest difference between boys and girls were that the family constitutes the greatest feeling of safety for boys, and friends constitute the greatest feeling of safety for girls

Gender differences in nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve injury and repair in healthy and in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats.

In view of the global increase in diabetes, and the fact that recent findings indicate that diabetic neuropathy is more frequently seen in males, it is crucial to evaluate any gender differences in nerve regeneration in diabetes. Our aim was to evaluate in short-term experiments gender dissimilarities in axonal outgrowth in healthy and in genetically developed type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, and also to investigate the connection between activated (i.e. ATF-3, Activating Transcription Factor 3) and apoptotic (cleaved caspase 3) Schwann cells after sciatic nerve injury and repair. Female and male diabetic GK rats, spontaneously developing type 2 diabetes, were compared with corresponding healthy Wistar rats. The sciatic nerve was transected and instantly repaired. After six days the nerve was harvested to measure axonal outgrowth (i.e. neurofilament staining), and to quantify the number of ATF-3 (i.e. activated) and cleaved caspase 3 (i.e. apoptotic) stained Schwann cells using immunohistochemistry

Galanin expression in sensory neurons after nerve compression or transection.

Galanin is probably involved in nociceptive sensory processing in spinal cord. We investigated whether a common injury, peripheral nerve compression, induced up-regulation of galanin (immunocytochemistry) in sensory neurons in rats 6 or 14 days post-injury and compared the response with other nerve injuries. Sciatic nerve compression increased the number of galanin positive sensory neurons as compared to uninjured and contralateral dorsal root ganglia. Complete transection was more efficient than a partial transection and a slight compression injury as an inducer of galanin. Mainly small diameter sensory neurons became positive but also some large diameter neurons. We conclude that nerve compression up-regulates galanin in sensory neurons. The extent of the induction could be related to the severity of nerve injury