Taking the attitude of the other: the role of study attitudes in mediating gender compositional effects on girls’ and boys' school misbehavior

Previous research on consequences of schools’ gender composition has mostly investigated students’ socio-emotional wellbeing and achievement, while students’ academic attitudes and behavioural outcomes – including school deviancy – have been less studied. Moreover, most studies compared single-sex and coeducational schools, and did not focus on the proportion of girls at school. Starting from reference group theory, we hypothesize that boys attending schools with a higher proportion of girls adopt the latter’s positive study attitudes, rendering them less susceptible to disruptive behaviour. Conversely, girls in schools with more boys are expected to adopt the latter’s negative study attitudes, consequently being more likely to misbehave. Multilevel analyses on data from the Flemish Educational Assessment (FlEA), consisting of 5961 girls and 5638 boys in 81 schools, showed that both boys and girls valued studying more and were less likely to misbehave at school when proportionally more girls attended their school. Implications are discussed

Changing Dairy Market Environment: Effect on Cooperative Organization, Competition, and Price Risk Management: Comparative Analysis Between Germany and the United States

The dairy market environment in the United States of America and in Europe is changing partially due to a change in policies supporting free markets. The effect of the change in the dairy market environment in the United States and Germany on cooperative organization, competition, and price risk management is elaborated in this thesis by means of a literature survey including governmental documents, industry documents, and published scientific articles. The thesis provides a closer look to the interaction between two players within the dairy market chain, i.e. the farmers and the processors. Both players are confronted with increasing accessibility of the markets which increases the importance of trade and increases the volatility of the price. Dairy cooperatives transform their organizational structure in order to adapt strategies to cope with the increasing international competition. However, the consolidation present on the procurers‟ side of the market puts dairy farmers in a weak bargaining position. Policy makers are aware of these malfunctions within the market and are suggesting alternative policies that are conform to the World Trade Organization negotiations. The stimulation of producer organizations, interbranch organizations and the use of futures markets and contracting to reduce price risk are advised by the European Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture. The market changes and policy changes create opportunities for farmers and processors in both countries to diversify and to increase production. Processors have the opportunity to become world players

Evaluation of the First Commercial Hepcidin ELISA for the Differential Diagnosis of Anemia of Chronic Disease and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients

Introduction. Anemia is a frequent problem in hospitalized geriatric patients, and the anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the 2 most prevalent causes. The aim of the study was to assess the possible role of serum hepcidin in the differential diagnosis between ACD and IDA. Methods. We investigated serum hepcidin, iron status, anemia, and C-reactive protein in 39 consecutive geriatric patients with ACD and IDA. Serum hepcidin levels were determined using a commercial ELISA kit (DRG Instruments, Marburg, Germany). We also measured hepcidin in 26 healthy controls. Results. The serum hepcidin levels were not significantly higher in the 28 patients with ACD as compared to the 11 patients with IDA. Conclusions. The serum hepcidin levels measured using the commercial ELISA kit (DRG) do not appear to increase in older patients with ACD. It should be noted that an assay-specific problem could explain our results

High anion gap metabolic acidosis caused by D-lactate: mind the time of blood collection

Introduction: D-lactic acidosis is an uncommon cause of high anion gap acidosis. Materials and methods: A 35-year old woman was admitted to the emergency room with somnolence, drowsiness, dizziness, incoherent speech and drunk appearance. Her past medical history included a Roux-en-Y bypass. Point-of-care venous blood analysis revealed a high anion gap acidosis. Based on the clinical presentation, routine laboratory results and negative toxicology screening, D-lactate and 5-oxoprolinuria were considered as the most likely causes of the high anion gap acidosis. Urine organic acid analysis revealed increased lactate, but no 5-oxoproline. Plasma D-lactate was < 1.0 mmol/L and could not confirm D-lactic acidosis. What happened: Further investigation revealed that the blood sample for D-lactate was drawn 12 hours after admission, which might explain the false-negative result. Data regarding the half-life of D-lactate are, however, scarce. During a second admission, one month later, D-lactic acidosis could be confirmed with an anion gap of 40.7 mmol/L and a D-lactate of 21.0 mmol/L measured in a sample collected at the time of admission. Main lesson: The time of blood collection is of utmost importance to establish the diagnosis of D-lactic acidosis due to the fast clearance of D-lactate in the human bod

'Now I want to do something interesting, something fun': a mixed-methods study into the determinants of horizontal gender segregation at a Belgian university

This study examines by means of quantitative and qualitative data analyses which factors determine the choice for more masculine or more feminine fields of study by male and female bachelor students. The quantitative analyses are based on data of 4758 bachelor students, of which 1808 males and 2950 females, taken from STUBARO 2011-2012, a yearly online survey of students of Ghent University. The qualitative data are data of 15 female and 8 male students in gender-atypical fields, gathered by means of in-depth interviews and focus groups. Family background only slightly explained the gendered choices. More important were the students’ occupational values, as more feminine values decreased the likelihood of being in more masculine fields of study, and vice versa. Previous educational careers appeared to be most important, namely mathematics, which determined the enrolment in masculine fields somewhat more for men than for women

Neta My Love : Neta Mein Lieb

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4485/thumbnail.jp

Detection of macroenzymes: establishing upper reference limits for eight enzymes after polyethylene glycol precipitation

IntroductionThe presence of macroenzymes in blood can cause diagnostic confusion. Therefore, confirming the presence of macroenzymes is important to reduce unnecessary (non-)invasive investigations. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation is a simple and fast first-line method for the detection of macroenzymes. However, there is no consensus on the upper reference limit for the PEG-precipitable activity (%PPA) of monomeric enzymes. The aim of this study was to verify a PEG precipitation protocol for the detection of macroenzymes in our laboratory by establishing upper reference limits (URLs) and determining imprecision for eight enzymes after PEG precipitation. In addition, we aimed to clinically verify the URLs using samples containing macroenzymes as identified by electrophoresis. Materials and methodsPer enzyme, at least 40 leftover blood samples from adult patients with either normal or increased enzyme activities were diluted 1:1 with 25% PEG 6000 and 1:1 with 0.9% NaCl. Mixtures were incubated for 10 min at 37°C and centrifuged. Supernatant enzyme activity was measured on Cobas c702 and the %PPA was calculated. ResultsThe following URLs were obtained: 26% PPA for amylase, 29% PPA for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 61% PPA for alanine aminotransferase, 48% PPA for aspartate aminotransferase, 24% PPA for creatine kinase (CK), 55% PPA for gamma-glutamyltransferase, 65% PPA for lactate dehydrogenase, and 56% PPA for lipase. The within-lab imprecision was < 15%. Regarding the clinical verification, the two historical samples with proven macroCK showed a %PPA of 69% and 43%, respectively, and a sample with proven macroALP had a %PPA of 52%. ConclusionIn this study, URLs for monomeric enzyme activities after PEG precipitation for eight different enzymes were established. The URLs are suitable for clinical use, but are only partially in line with other studies. Therefore, our data highlight the importance of establishing laboratory-specific upper reference limits for %PPA to allow a correct interpretation

A case of severe pseudohyperkalaemia due to muscle contraction

Introduction: Severe hyperkalaemia is a serious medical condition requiring immediate medical attention. Before medical treatment is started, pseudohyperkalaemia has to be ruled out. Case description: A 10-month old infant presented to the emergency department with fever and coughing since 1 week. Routine venous blood testing revealed a severe hyperkalaemia of 6.9 mmol/L without any indication of haemolysis. Reanalysis of the plasma sample confirmed the hyperkalaemia (7.1 mmol/L). Based on these results, the clinical pathologist suggested to perform a venous blood gas analysis and electrocardiogram (ECG) which revealed a normal potassium of 3.7 mmol/L and normal ECG, ruling out a potentially life-treating hyperkalaemia. The child was diagnosed with pneumonia. The paediatrician had difficulty to perform the first venous blood collection due to excessive movement of the infant during venipuncture. The muscle contractions of the child in combination with venous stasis most probably led to a local increase of potassium in the sampled limbs. The second sample collected under optimal preanalytical circumstances had a normal potassium. Since muscle contraction typically does not cause severe hyperkalaemia, other causes of pseudohyperkalaemia were excluded. K3-EDTA contamination and familial hyperkalaemia were ruled out and the patient did not have extreme leucocytosis or thrombocytosis. By exclusion a diagnosis of pseudohyperkalaemia due to intense muscle movement and venous stasis was made. Conclusion: This case suggests that intense muscle contraction and venous stasis can cause severe pseudohyperkalemia without hemolysis. Once true hyperkalemia has been ruled out, a laboratory work-up can help identify the cause of pseudohyperkalaemia

An abrupt rise of coagulation error messages on ACL TOP automated analysers

Introduction: Blood coagulation tests (BCT) are very important for clinicians to diagnose bleeding or thrombotic disorders and to monitor anticoagulant therapy. Case description: On a Saturday morning, a laboratory technician noted an abrupt rise in the number of coagulation error messages on our ALC TOP analysers. Visual inspection revealed the presence of partially and/or fully clotted citrate tubes and prompted the clinical biologist to further investigate a potential preanalytical cause. Considered causes: Partially or fully clotted blood in citrate tubes can have multiple causes including improper mixing of the tube, under- or overfilling or combining blood samples from different tubes into one citrate tube. What happened: The affected citrate tubes originated mostly from the same clinical departments. Moreover, all the affected tubes shared the same lot number (1 of 7 in use at the time). Visual inspection of 7 unopened boxes of 100 citrate tubes of this lot number revealed one box with nine completely empty and two partially filled tubes and one box with two partially filled tubes. No under-filled tubes were found in the other 5 boxes. Discussion: The blood to additive ratio is crucial for BCT. A sudden rise in clot errors should trigger a thorough investigation to identify the cause. Main lesson: Laboratories should regularly monitor and evaluate the percentage of clotted samples as a quality indicator at scheduled time points. A problem with the volume of additive in citrate tubes should be considered as a possible cause

Paired measurement of urinary creatinine in neonates based on a Jaffe and an enzymatic IDMS-traceable assay

BACKGROUND: Urinary creatinine can be quantified by Jaffe or enzymatic assays and is commonly used as denominator of urinary excretion of electrolytes or protein. Paired analysis in pediatric and adult samples documented inter-assay differences (up to 80%). We verified the interchangeability of two IDMS-traceable assays (Jaffe and enzymatic) for neonatal urine and report on neonatal urinary creatinine values using these IDMS-traceable methods. METHODS: Creatinine was measured in 84 neonatal urine samples from 46 neonates by an IDMS traceable Jaffe and enzymatic assay (Roche Diagnostics, Cobas c702 module). Creatinine values, differences in urinary creatinine and clinical characteristics were described and covariates of between assay difference were explored (Wilcoxon, Bland-Altman, correlation, multiple regression). RESULTS: Median Jaffe and enzymatic urinary creatinine concentrations were 9.25 (range 3.7-42.2) and 9.15 (range 3.8-42.9) mg/dL respectively, resulting in a median difference of 0.08 (SD 0.6, range −2.4 to 0.96) mg/dL. In a multiple regression model, urinary enzymatic creatinine concentration (r = 0.45) and postnatal age (r = −0.59) remained independent variables of the difference between both assays (r(2) adj = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: The tested IDMS-traceable assays showed interchangeable in heterogeneous neonatal urine samples. Using these assays, neonatal urinary creatinine showed 5–20 fold lower values than those observed in children or adults with a significant negative correlation with postnatal age