Academic self-efficacy and persistence in the context of high-stakes testing

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent academic self-efficacy and persistence contribute to academic achievement in the context of high-stakes testing. This study focused on participants who had not met their high school graduation requirements because they did not pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)

Structural, functional, and lectin histochemical characteristics of rat ovaries and endometrium in experimental hyper- and hypothyroidism

Twenty lectins with different carbohydrate affinities, including five new lectins purified from fungi,were used for histochemical examination of carbohydrate determinants in rat ovaries and endometrium underexperimental hyper- and hypothyroidism. In the ovaries of control rats, lectin binding was detected predominantlyin the zona pellucida and corona radiata of growing follicles, luteocytes, and leucocytes. Within the endometrium,lectins reacted strongly with the luminal surface, epitheliocytes and secretions of the uterine glands,pre-decidual cells, leucocytes, and collagen fibers. As revealed on general morphology and estrous cycle studies,hyperthyroidism induced ovarian luteinization, and increased the content of pre-decidual cells and of collagenfibers in the endometrium, with no reliable effect on the estrous cycle. Hypothyroidism was accompanied byretardation of the estrous cycle, enhanced folliculogenesis and leucocyte infiltration of ovarian and endometrialstroma. Both hyper- and hypothyroidism significantly affected the tissue carbohydrates of the ovaries and endometrium:specific and differential redistribution of DMan, LFuc, NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc, and DGaldeterminants was detected under both pathological conditions. Hyperthyroidism induced more severe alterationsof glycoconjugates than hypothyroidism; the endometrium was more susceptible to thyroxin-modulatedimpairments than the ovaries. These results give new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of the effects ofthyroid disorders on the female reproductive organs and demonstrate the suitability of lectin histochemistrymethods for monitoring the efficacy of hormonal imbalance correction therapy, as well as the applicability ofnew lectin preparations for the selective labeling of ovarian and endometrial constituents.Twenty lectins with different carbohydrate affinities, including five new lectins purified from fungi,were used for histochemical examination of carbohydrate determinants in rat ovaries and endometrium underexperimental hyper- and hypothyroidism. In the ovaries of control rats, lectin binding was detected predominantlyin the zona pellucida and corona radiata of growing follicles, luteocytes, and leucocytes. Within the endometrium,lectins reacted strongly with the luminal surface, epitheliocytes and secretions of the uterine glands,pre-decidual cells, leucocytes, and collagen fibers. As revealed on general morphology and estrous cycle studies,hyperthyroidism induced ovarian luteinization, and increased the content of pre-decidual cells and of collagenfibers in the endometrium, with no reliable effect on the estrous cycle. Hypothyroidism was accompanied byretardation of the estrous cycle, enhanced folliculogenesis and leucocyte infiltration of ovarian and endometrialstroma. Both hyper- and hypothyroidism significantly affected the tissue carbohydrates of the ovaries and endometrium:specific and differential redistribution of DMan, LFuc, NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc, and DGaldeterminants was detected under both pathological conditions. Hyperthyroidism induced more severe alterationsof glycoconjugates than hypothyroidism; the endometrium was more susceptible to thyroxin-modulatedimpairments than the ovaries. These results give new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of the effects ofthyroid disorders on the female reproductive organs and demonstrate the suitability of lectin histochemistrymethods for monitoring the efficacy of hormonal imbalance correction therapy, as well as the applicability ofnew lectin preparations for the selective labeling of ovarian and endometrial constituents

Nonlinear Bessel beams

The effect of the Kerr nonlinearity on linear non-diffractive Bessel beams is investigated analytically and numerically using the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. The nonlinearity is shown to primarily affect the central parts of the Bessel beam, giving rise to radial compression or decompression depending on whether the nonlinearity is focusing or defocusing, respectively. The dynamical properties of Gaussian-truncated Bessel beams are also analysed in the presence of a Kerr nonlinearity. It is found that although a condition for width balance in the root-mean-square sense exists, the beam profile becomes strongly deformed during propagation and may exhibit the phenomena of global and partial collapse.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Influence of experimental hypo- and hyperthyroidism on the expression of sialoglycans in rat ovary and endometrium

7 lectins with different carbohydrate affinities (SNA, WGA, RCA, UDA, SBA, HPA and PNA) were used forhistochemical investigation of sialoglycans and related oligosaccharidic determinants in rat ovary and endometrium underexperimental hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Tissue samples were fixed in 4% neutral formalin and embedded in paraffin. Lectin-peroxidase labels were visualized by diaminobenzidine. Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism significantly influenced ovarianand endometrial glycopolymers: rearrangement of NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc and DGal determinants in each structuralcomponent demonstrated specific and differential manifestations. It was detected that hyperthyroidism in comparison withhypothyroidism influenced carbohydrates of female reproductive system more strongly; endometrium was more susceptibleto thyroxin-modulated impairments in comparison with ovaria. Treatment of hypothyroidism with thyroxin normalized leucocytecount, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of collagen fibers and expression of sialoglycans, but not SBA, HPAand PNA receptor sites. Selective labeling of zona pellucida and corona radiata, luteocytes, atretic follicles and leucocyteswas detected in ovaria; in endometrium lectin label was attributed to leucocytes and collagen fibers, epithelium and secretorycomponents of uterine glands

Reaching Potential Russian Students through Social Media : Case: Lahti UAS Ltd

Nowadays, digital marketing plays an important role in higher education. Lots of educational institutions contest each other through social media for attracting more students, increasing income and ranks. The fact of the tuition fees in higher education for non-EU/EEA students forced Finnish universities to build a new digital marketing strategy to attract potential international students. Russian students are one of the largest groups of international students in Finland. Therefore, the objective of the thesis is to support the case company, Lahti UAS Ltd, to obtain a better understanding of the customer journey of potential Russian students and how they can be reached through social media. The theoretical framework of the whole thesis consists of two chapters that create a basis for the study. The following paragraph introduces the two chapters forming the theoretical part of the thesis. The first chapter of the theoretical part, chapter two, dis-cusses customers, how to get to know potential customers, build brand awareness and describes decision-making process as well as the location of potential customers in the marketing funnel. Chapter three moves on gives the meaning of digital marketing discuss inbound marketing and content marketing as well as social media in connection to marketing. This thesis is written using a deductive reasoning approach. Quantitative methods are used for measuring results received from the online survey. In addition to that, data collected by primary and secondary sources. The survey was held online with potential Russian students to collect primary data. Secondary sources were collected from literature such as books, journals and electronic sources as web articles. The empirical research results showed that potential Russian students start their decision journey mostly in high school or bachelor’s degree and gather information on Yandex, Google or web page. They are interested in international students’ content and feedback of students. Tuition fees highly affect their decision making. And relatives are considered one of the main influencing factors. Based on the results, recommendations to the case company on digital marketing strategy are provided

Вплив експериментального гіпо- та гіпертироїдизму на експресію сіалогліканів структурами яєчників та ендометрія щура

7 lectins with different carbohydrate affinities (SNA, WGA, RCA, UDA, SBA, HPA and PNA) were used for histochemical investigation of sialoglycans and related oligosaccharidic determinants in rat ovary and endometrium under experimental hypo- and hyperthyroidism. Tissue samples were fixed in 4% neutral formalin and embedded in paraffin. Lectin-peroxidase labels were visualized by diaminobenzidine. Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism significantly influenced ovarian and endometrial glycopolymers: rearrangement of NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc and DGal determinants in each structural component demonstrated specific and differential manifestations. It was detected that hyperthyroidism in comparison with hypothyroidism influenced carbohydrates of female reproductive system more strongly; endometrium was more susceptible to thyroxin-modulated impairments in comparison with ovaria. Treatment of hypothyroidism with thyroxin normalized leucocyte count, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of collagen fibers and expression of sialoglycans, but not SBA, HPA and PNA receptor sites. Selective labeling of zona pellucida and corona radiata, luteocytes, atretic follicles and leucocytes was detected in ovaria; in endometrium lectin label was attributed to leucocytes and collagen fibers, epithelium and secretory components of uterine glands.С использованием 7 лектинов различной углеводной специфичности (SNA, WGA, RCA, UDA, SBA, HPA и PNA) проведено гистохимическое исследование экспрессии сиалогликанов и сочетанных с ними углеводных детерминант структурными компонентами яичников и эндометрия крысы в норме, а также под влиянием экспериментального гипо- и гипертироидизма. Материал фиксировали в 4% нейтральном формалине и заключали в парафин. Были использованы лектин-пероксидазные конъюгаты, визуализацию осуществляли диаминобензидином. Установили, что как гипо-, так и гипертироидизм оказывают существенное влияние на гликополимеры яичников и матки, что в условиях эксперимента проявлялось в разнонаправленном и специфичном для каждой изученной микроструктуры изменении сиалогликанов, а также углеводных детерминант DGlcNAc, DGalNAc и DGal. Сравнение двух моделированных патологических состояний показало, что гипертироидизм оказывает более значительное влияние на органы женской репродуктивной системы. При сравнении яичников и эндометрия было установлено, что последний более подвержен повреждающему воздействию дисбаланса тироидных гормонов, о чем свидетельствовала массивная лейкоцитарная инфильтрация и коллагенизация стромы эндометрия. Коррекция гипотироидизма тироксином стимулировала определенную нормализацию как общеморфологических показателей (лейкоциты, коллагеновые волокна), так и некоторых гистохимических характеристик (сиалогликаны), однако нормализации содержания рецепторов лектинов SBA, HPA и PNA за время проведения эксперимента достигуто не было. Как в условиях контроля, так и при моделированных патологических состояний лектины продемонстрировали способность к селективному маркированию отдельных микроструктур яичников и эндометрия, что может быть использовано в дальнейших исследованиях.З використанням 7 лектинів різної вуглеводної специфічності (SNA, WGA, RCA, UDA, SBA, HPA та PNA) проведено гістохімічне дослідження експресії сіалогліканів та поєднаних з ними олігосахаридних детермінант структурними компонентами яєчників та ендометрія щура в нормі, а також під впливом експериментального гіпо- та гіпертироїдизму. Матеріал фіксували у 4% нейтральному формаліні та заливали у парафін. Були використані кон’югати лектинів з пероксидазою, візуалізацію досягали діамінобензидином. Встановлено, що як гіпо-, так і гіпертироїдизм мають суттєвий вплив на глікополімери яєчників та матки, що в умовах експерименту проявлялося у різноспрямованій і суто специфічній для кожної мікроструктури зміні сіалогліканів, а також вуглеводних детермінант DGal, DGalNAc та DGlcNAc. Порівняння двох модельованих патологічних станів показало, що гіпертироїдизм чинить більш виражений вплив на органи жіночої репродуктивної системи. Порівняння яєчників та ендометрія виявило, що останній має вищу чутливість до дисбалансу тироїдних гормонів, свідченнями чого, зокрема, були масивна лейкоцитарна інфільтрація та колагенізація строми ендометрія. Корекція гіпотироїдизму тироксином сприяла певній нормалізації як загальноморфологічних (лейкоцити, колагенові волокна), так і гістохімічних (сіалоглікани) характеристик, однак нормалізації рецепторів лектинів SBA, НРА та PNA за час проведення експерименту досягнуто не було. Як у нормі, так і при модельованих патологічних станах окремі лектини виявилися достатньо селективними гістохімічними маркерами структурних компонентів яєчника та ендометрія, що дозволяє рекомендувати їх для використання у майбутньому

Concurrent Error-Detection Circuit Evaluation.

. On-line error detection schemes were evaluated for combinational and sequential circuits.The first evaluated scheme consists of a parity prediction circuit (either embedded in the circuit or implemented separately) . The second scheme consists of a parity prediction circuit (either embedded in circuit or implemented separately) and a circuit based on circuit constraint graph coloring. The third scheme is a circuit based on circuit constraint graph coloring only. We show that 75 to 99% of all stuck-at faults in combinational circuits (we used combinational parts of MCNC benchmark circuits) can be detected by monitoring the parity of circuit outputs. Two approaches to the synthesis of a parity prediction circuit for a given circuit are evaluated : joint synthesis of the circuit with the parity bit (i.e. self-parity circuit synthesis) and separate synthesis of the parity bit. This two approaches demonstrate the tradeoff between circuit size and quality of error detection. To detect the..