Dose Dependent Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance and Neuronal Activation

Many students assume that the more caffeine you drink, the better your cognitive performance. Over-consumption of caffeine has many negative effects, so if there are no dose related cognitive benefits to large amounts of caffeine, then college students should limit their intake. This study looked at whether ingesting a medium dose (200 mg) versus a lower dose (100 mg) of caffeine improved short term memory as measured by Flanker and n-back tests, compared to a control group. In addition, we looked at whether larger doses of caffeine produced a difference in neuronal activation during these tests as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR). There were no differences in cognitive performance observed between the treatment groups, although the 200 mg caffeine group did have significantly more neuronal activation during higher cognitive load tasks. If increased neuronal activation does not correlate to increased performance, it may not reflect an actual benefit of increased caffeine consumption

Tamsayıların Anlaşılmasında Öğretmenin İmgelemeyi Desteklemedeki Rolü

This paper presents the results of a design experiment conducted in a 7th grade mathematics classroom aimed at improving students’ understanding of integer concepts and operations. The study particularly focuses on an expert teacher’s role in helping students develop meaningful imagery which students can use as a foundation to fold back and rely on as they engage in further mathematical activities. Toulmin’s model of argumentation is used as an analytical tool to document when an image becomes taken-as-shared by the classroom community. The results suggest that the practices of the teacher played an important role in students’ development of various images in understanding and solving integer problems meaningfully as well as communicating their ideas effectively.Bu çalışma, yedinci sınıf matematik öğrencilerinin tamsayı kavramı ve işlemlerini daha iyi anlayabilmeleri için yapılan bir araştırmanın sonuçlarını sunmaktadır. Çalışmada özellikle uzman bir öğretmenin öğrencilerin yeni matematiksel kavramları anlamalarında geriye dönük olarak kullanabilecekleri mantıklı imgelemeyi geliştirmelerindeki rolü araştırılmıştır. Çalışmada Toulmin tartışma modeli öğrencilerin oluşturdukları imgelerin tüm sınıf tarafından kabul edilip ortak olarak kullanılıp kullanılmadığını analiz etmek amacıyla kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, öğretmenin kullanmış olduğu yöntemlerin öğrencilerin tamsayı problemlerini anlaması ve doğru çözmesinde olduğu kadar, fikirlerini iletmede de etkili olan imgelemelerin gelişiminde önemli bir rol oynadığını göstermişti

A math teacher’s participation in a classroom design research: teaching of ratio and proportion

International audienceThe purpose of this study is to explore how a mathematics teacher contributed to a classroom design research and how this contribution promoted student learning and the establishment of students’ mathematical practices of linking composite units and iterating linked composites, which is the basis for proportional reasoning. In this classroom design research study, a classroom learning trajectory and related instructional sequence were formulated based on the theory of Realistic Mathematics Education and implemented by the teacher. Findings showed that the teacher contributed to the design research in each phase, and her contributions promoted students’ mathematical practices regarding linking composite units and iterating composite units

Management of Insulinoma using the drug Octreotide. A Case Report and Literature Review

A case report on the drug Octreotide and its use in managing insulinoma

Assessment of a newly designed double-barreled bullet-shooting stunner for adequate stunning of water buffaloes

To ensure animal welfare at slaughter, rapid stunning is required to render the animal deeply unconscious. In cattle, captive-bolt stunners are typically used for this purpose. However, with regard to their impact force and maximum length of approximately 120 mm, such captive-bolt stunners are not suitable for stunning water buffaloes due to anatomical characteristics of the skull. In water buffaloes the bone layer is thicker and the distance from the point of attachment of the captive-bolt stunner to the relevant brain region is longer. For this reason, a special bullet-shooting stunner was developed, which is similar in size and handling to a standard captive-bolt stunner, but instead of a bolt, it fires a bullet. Actually, even two bullets can be loaded so that a follow-up shot can be fired immediately if necessary. In this study, the bullet-shooting stunner was tested using two different types of hunting ammunition for stunning water buffaloes during regular slaughter

BigBovid- Evaluation of a Newly Developed 9 mm Bullet-Shooting Stunner for Adequate Stunning of Heavy Cattle

The stunning of heavy cattle and water buffalo is an animal welfare problem, as conventional cartridge fired captive-bolt stunners are not suitable due to the thicker skull bones and the greater depth of penetration required to reach and damage the relevant brain regions for deep unconsciousness. This current animal welfare problem requires a suitable and feasible as well as commercially available and legally approved stunning device to ensure deep unconsciousness of these animals. In this study, the use of a newly developed bullet-shooting stunner, the BigBovid, with two different types of hunting ammunition, namely .38 SPL FMJ-TC and .357 MAG FTX ® bullets, was evaluated on 22 heavy cattle (mean weight: 1062.27 kg, standard deviation: 124.09 kg). In ballistic experiments, the BigBovid reached a mean energy density of 8.18 J/mm2 (mean error: 0.45 J/mm2) for the .38 SPL FMJ-TC and 17.56 J/mm2 (mean error: 2.67 J/mm2) for the .357 MAG FTX ®. In in vivo experiments, the use of the .38 SPL FMJ-TC resulted in overpenetration three times. The .357 MAG FTX ® bullets showed to be more advantageous, because on the one hand no overpenetration occurred and on the other hand the bullets fragmented into small parts after penetration into the skull. The fragments were scattered in the brain tissue, such as the thalamus and the brain stem, and thus there is a high probability to damage the brain regions relevant for deep unconsciousness. Based on the results of this study, the use of the BigBovid in combination with the .357 MAG FTX ® bullet is found to be suitable for stunning heavy cattle. Keywords: animal welfare; concussion; desensitization; heavy bulls; slaughterin

Quality of life and societal costs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:protocol of the AFFECT-HCM study

Background: Ever since the first description of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common genetic cardiac disease, tremendous progress has been made in the evaluation and management of HCM patients, but little attention has been focused on the impact of HCM on societal costs and quality of life (QoL). Aims: This paper describes the study protocol for the AFFECT-HCM study into burden of disease (BoD), which aims to estimate health-related QoL and societal costs in HCM patients and genotype-positive phenotype-negative (G+/P−) relatives during a one-year follow-up study, and relate this to the phenotypical HCM expression. Methods: A total of 400 Dutch HCM patients and 100 G+/P− subjects will be followed for one year in a prospective, multi-centre, prevalence-based BoD study. Societal costs will be measured via a bottom-up approach using the cost questionnaires iMCQ and iPCQ. For QoL, the generic EQ-5D-5L and disease-specific Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire will be used. QoL and societal costs will be compared with phenotype-specific HCM characteristics and other determinants to identify factors that influence BoD. Accelerometry will test the correlation between BoD and physical activity. Conclusion: The AFFECT-HCM study will evaluate the BoD in HCM patients and G+/P− subjects to improve the understanding of the societal and economic impact of HCM.</p

Adverse childhood experiences and adult mood problems: evidence from a five-decade prospective birth cohort

Background Retrospectively recalled adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with adult mood problems, but evidence from prospective population cohorts is limited. The aims of this study were to test links between prospectively ascertained ACEs and adult mood problems up to age 50, to examine the role of child mental health in accounting for observed associations, and to test gender differences in associations. Methods The National Child Development Study is a UK population cohort of children born in 1958. ACEs were defined using parent or teacher reports of family adversity (parental separation, child taken into care, parental neglect, family mental health service use, alcoholism and criminality) at ages 7–16. Children with no known (n = 9168), single (n = 2488) and multiple (n = 897) ACEs were identified in childhood. Adult mood problems were assessed using the Malaise inventory at ages 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. Associations were examined separately for males and females. Results Experiencing single or multiple ACEs was associated with increased rates of adult mood problems after adjustment for childhood psychopathology and confounders at birth [2+ v. 0 ACEs – men: age 23: odds ratio (OR) 2.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–3.3); age 33: OR 2.40 (1.7–3.4); age 42: OR 1.85 (1.4–2.4); age 50: OR 2.63 (2.0–3.5); women: age 23: OR 2.00 (95% CI 1.5–2.6); age 33: OR 1.81 (1.3–2.5); age 42: OR 1.59 (1.2–2.1); age 50: OR 1.32 (1.0–1.7)]. Conclusions Children exposed to ACEs are at elevated risk for adult mood problems and a priority for early prevention irrespective of the presence of psychopathology in childhood