The Impact of Differences in Curriculum on Knowledge Related to European Citizenship: A Comparative Analysis in the Case of Portuguese and Romanian Pupils

AbstractGiven the European socio-economic and cultural context of the 21st century, the national educational systems must take into account both the local curriculum reforms and the European regulatory framework and developmental goals. The current research was conducted in Portugal and Romania, within the Comenius-funded ECLIPSE1 project, seeking to investigate how curricular approaches are reflected on pupils European Citizenship knowledge. A comparative analysis of the curriculum on European issues and a knowledge test (pre and post) of European Citizenship were used. Totally, 189 pupils in compulsory education, ages between 12 and 17 years old participated. Findings show an average increase of 3/4 points between the pre and post-tests results in both countries. Further, placing these findings in the context of curriculum differences provides relevant insights

Direction of Causality Between Financial Development and Economic Growth. Evidence for Developing Countries

The results of extensive studies that analyzed the existence and meaning of correlations between the economic growth and the financial market development lead us to a more thorough study of these correlations. Therefore, we performed a broad study of the developing countries from around the world (the developing part of each region constructed by the World Bank through its Statistics Bureau). The regions taken into analysis were: Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, the Arab world, Latin America & and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For comparison purposes, we have also included in the sample the North American countries, the Euro Area and the European Union as a whole, because these last three areas are the main benchmarks of the financial markets. The results are consistent with those from previous studies on the subject and vary depending on region and financial indicator considered

Stability of Glutaraldehyde in Biocide Compositions

Glutaraldehyde (GA) is used as biocide in hospitals. Recent public investigations on the chemical composition of biocides used in Romania have in some cases found GA, as a key ingredient, to be apparently diluted. However, these data did not explicitly consider the complex chemical equilibria inherent to GA. An investigation of experimental and theoretical data is reported here, assessing the stability of GA solutions relevant for biocide compositions. GA solutions of various chemical composition and under varying circumstances were analyzed using spectroscopy (UV-VIS, Raman, NMR) coupled with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, as well as chemically, such as via the formation of imines in reaction/titration with glycine monitored at 270 nm; using LC-MS; or using SDS-PAGE analysis with GA as reagent in the polymerization of two test proteins- hemoglobin and myoglobin. The spectral properties of GA changed significantly over time, in a temperature-dependent manner; titration with glycine confirmed the spectral data. SDS-PAGE experiments demonstrated a non-linear and apparently unpredictable change in the reactivity of GA over time. The results may be relevant for the determination of GA concentration in various settings such as biocide analysis, hospital wastewaters, and others

Left atrial volume index and outcome after transcatheter edge-to-edge valve repair for secondary mitral regurgitation

Aims To investigate the role of left atrial volume index (LAVi) in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER). Methods and results Outcomes were evaluated in SMR patients of a European multicentre registry according to baseline LAVi. Main analysis was performed for all-cause mortality; residual mitral regurgitation (MR) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class improvement were analysed for patients available. A total of 1074 patients were included with a median LAVi (interquartile range) of 58 ml/m(2) (46-73). Postprocedural reduction of MR grade to <= 2+ was similar across LAVi quintiles, ranging 91%-96% (p = 0.26). Symptomatic benefit (>= 1 NYHA class improvement) also did not differ by LAVi quintiles (61%-68% of patients) (p = 0.66). The risk of mortality increased by 23%-42% in the four upper quintiles compared to the bottom quintile (LAVi <42 ml/m(2)). The hazard ratio (HR) of mortality was 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.78, p = 0.035) associated with a LAVi >42 ml/m(2), which was attenuated after multivariable adjustment (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.83-1.67, p = 0.36). A significant interaction was found for MR severity and pulmonary hypertension, with an increased risk of death associated with enlarged LAVi in patients with inframedian effective regurgitant orifice area (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.06-3.74, p = 0.032) and in patients with systolic pulmonary pressure <= 50 mmHg (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.02-2.75, p = 0.042) in multivariable analysis. Conclusion Procedural success and symptomatic benefit were high throughout the whole range of LAVi. The prognostic impact of left atrial enlargement was relevant in patients with less severe SMR and without pulmonary hypertension, reinforcing the need to identify patients in the early course of backward congestion to achieve good long-term outcome after TEER