Micromachined Flow Sensors Enabling Electrocalorimetric and TOF Transduction

AbstractA novel thermal flow sensor is presented featuring three spatially separated micromachined silicon-nitride membranes. A thin-film heater is embedded in the central one, while the others carry thermistors. This advanced sensor structure enables two different transduction modes. The electrocalorimetric mode exhibits high resolution and quick response at the expense of high power consumption. For slowly varying flows, the Time-of-Flight mode with low duty-cycles allows for power-saving operation but suffers from less sensitivity and slower response

Antioxidant Activity of Selected Herzegovinian Wines

Brojna vina, napose crna, sadrže različite spojeve koji imaju izrazita antioksidacijska svojstva. Predmet istraživanja ovoga rada bili su fenolni spojevi koji imaju antioksidacijska svojstva, prisutni u devet komercijalno dostupnih hercegovačkih crnih vina. Određena je koncentracija ukupnih fenola, flavonoida i neflavonoida, te antioksidacijski učinak odabranih crnih vina. Koncentracija ukupnih fenola određena je spektrofotometrijski Folin-Ciocâlteuovom metodom uz galnu kiselinu kao standard, dok je koncentracija flavonoida i neflavonoida određena metodom uz upotrebu formaldehida. Antioksidacijski učinak određen je dvjema metodama: Briggs-Rauscherovim oscilirajućim reakcijama i metodom redukcije radikala DPPH. Koncentracija ukupnih fenola u devet istraživanih vina, izražena u ekvivalentima galne kiseline (GAE), kreće se u rasponu od 346,836 mg L-1 do 2169,7 mg L-1, što je u skladu s ranijim istraživanjima crnih vina s drugih prostora. U svim istraživanim vinima zabilježena je znatno veća koncentracija flavonoida u odnosu na neflavonoide, prosječno 85 : 15. Rezultati ukazuju na velike razlike u antioksidacijskoj aktivnosti analiziranih vina. Prema obje primijenjene metode dobiveni su slični podaci. Pozitivna i jaka korelacija između koncentracije ukupnih fenola i antioksidacijske aktivnosti vina (prema metodi DPPH je r = 0,93, a prema metodi BR-oscilirajućih reakcija r = 0,90) potvrđuje činjenicu da vina s većom koncentracijom ukupnih fenola imaju i jači antioksidacijski učinak.Many wines, particularly red, contain different compounds that possess strong antioxidant activity. The subject of this paper was the determination of phenol compounds with strong antioxidant activity, contained in nine commercially available Herzegovinian red wines. Total phenols, flavonoids, nonflavonoids content and antioxidant activity of selected wines were determined. Total phenols content was determined spectrophotometrically by the Folin-Cioca@lteu method using gallic acid as standard, while flavonoids and nonflavonoids content was determined by using formaldehyde. Two distinct methods were used to assess the antioxidant capacity of the tested wines; Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction method, and the reduction of DPPH radicals. Total phenols content in nine studied wines, expressed as Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE), range from 346.836 mg L-1 to 2169.7 mg L-1, which is consistent with data from previous studies of red wines from other regions. All studied wines showed significantly higher flavonoids content compared to nonflavonoids, an average of 85 : 15. The results indicate significant differences in antioxidant activity of the analyzed wines. According to both applied methods, similar data were measured. A positive and strong correlation between total phenol content and antioxidant activity (by DPPH method, r = 0.93, according to the method of BR oscillating reaction r = 0.90) confirms the fact that wines with higher total phenols content have stronger antioxidant activity

Evaluation of effectiveness of Unplugged in Slovenia, 2010-2011

Background: Unplugged is a Social Influence school-based curriculum consisting of 12 units, one hour each, delivered by trained class teachers to adolescents 12-14 years old during the school year. It was developed and tested in the European Drug Addiction Prevention trial, and it was shown to be effective in reducing cigarette smoking, episodes of drunkenness and the use of cannabis at short term. In 2010-2011, a controlled non-randomized study was conducted in Slovenia to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Methods: 48 schools accepted to participate in the study, 26 in the intervention arm and 22 in the control one. However, 4 schools from the intervention arm dropped out, leaving a sample of 22 schools in the intervention and 22 schools in the control arm. A pre-test survey was conducted before the implementation of the program, and a post-test survey was conducted 3 months after the end of the program. All the students in the intervention and control arm were administered a self-completed and anonymous questionnaire including 42 items investigating tobacco and substance use, alcohol use and abuse, intentions, knowledge, expectations and attitudes about substances, social and personal skills, normative beliefs, family relationships, school climate. Prevalence of behaviours at post test was compared with that at pre-test in the intervention and control arms. Multilevel Analysis will be used to investigate the effectiveness of the program in preventing and reducing drug use. Results: Overall 2937 pupils of 44 schools and 155 classes participated in the baseline survey between October and November 2010. Seventy-five percent of post-test questionnaires matched with pre-test ones and were available for effectiveness analyses. Among students participating in the survey at baseline 49.3% were boys, 27.5% were 12 years old, 50.4% 13 years old, and 21.5% 14 years old. 66.6% of pupils lived with both parents, and 83.6% had siblings. On overall only 17.9% of Slovenian students declared to have smoked at least one cigarette in their life and only 2.8% smoked at least one cigarette in the last 30 days. Around 59% of pupils already drunk alcohol, and 26% drunk alcohol in the last 30 days. 15% percent of pupils had at least one episode of drunkenness in their life, whilst 4.3% had at least one episode of drunkenness in the last 30 days. Around 2% used cannabis in their life, and 0.5% in the last 30 days. Less than 1% of pupils used other illicit drugs in their life, 0.3% in the last month. Results from unadjusted analysis of the effect are very encouraging. The use of all substances appeared to be reduced by the program. However, a more appropriate multilevel adjusted analysis is ongoing. Conclusions More than 2000 pupils participated to the evaluation study in Slovenia. Preliminary unadjusted results on the effectiveness of the program are encouraging. However, final results of the adjusted model are needed

Socio-economic differences in factors associated with alcohol use among adolescents in Slovenia: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: This paper aims to investigate the association of parental, friends, and personal factors with the risk of alcohol use in a sample of Slovenian adolescents, and whether these associations differ by socio-economic status of the school area (SES). Methods: The survey involved 2946 students of 44 Slovenian primary schools in the school year 2010/2011. The association between sociodemographic characteristics, parental alcohol use and permissiveness to drink, parental monitoring, perception of friends' alcohol use, beliefs towards alcohol, self-esteem and refusal skills, and the probability of recent alcohol use was evaluated through multiple multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results: Parental alcohol use, parental permissiveness to drink alcohol, low parental monitoring, perception of friends’ alcohol use, positive beliefs towards alcohol use, and low refusal skills were significantly associated with the risk of alcohol use. Parental drinking and permissive attitudes were stronger correlates of alcohol use among adolescents of middle and low SES schools, while friends’ alcohol use and personal factors among adolescents of high SES schools. Conclusions: Alcohol prevention programs should be tailored to school socio-economic environment taking into account friends and personal determinants among high SES, and parental factors among low SES school students

Toolkit per la valutazione delle abilità sociali ed emotive a scuola

Il progetto “Learning to Be: Development of Practices and Methodologies for Assessing Social, Emotional and Health Skills within Education Systems”, cofinanziato dal programma Erasmus+ dell’Unione europea, è un progetto sperimentale che coinvolge differenti Istituti ed Enti di ricerca che si occupano di istruzione ed educazione appartenenti a sette Paesi Europei: Finlandia, Italia, Lettonia, Lituania, Portogallo, Slovenia e Spagna. Il progetto, di durata triennale (febbraio 2017 - gennaio 2020), è volto a sperimentare metodologie di insegnamento e strumenti per la valutazione delle competenze socio-emotive negli studenti a scuola, al fine di comprendere come queste abilità possano essere supportate e promosse nei contesti educativi. “Learning to Be” si basa sul principio che la valutazione a scuola possa andare oltre le pure conoscenze nozionistiche e la performance scolastica, includendo, al contrario, pratiche educative che permettano, in particolare, l’osservazione dello sviluppo personale e delle abilità sociali e emotive. Pertanto, tale volume propone e descrive metodologie pratiche che possono essere utilizzate dai docenti e dagli studenti in classe al fine di sostenere gli aspetti sociali ed emotivi dell’apprendimento, promuovendo uno sviluppo sano della personalità e incoraggiando la costruzione di relazioni positive a scuola. Questo Toolkit, pensato per i docenti di scuola primaria e secondaria di I grado, delinea i principi fondamentali per una pratica efficace dell’apprendimento socio-emotivo a scuola e fornisce tecniche pratiche per valutare le competenze socio-emotive degli studenti in classe, oltre che per facilitare e sostenere ulteriori apprendimenti. Pur non avendo l’obiettivo di fornire un quadro completo rispetto alle conoscenze e agli studi inerenti l’apprendimento socio-emotivo, ha altresì lo scopo di supportare i docenti nel migliorare le pratiche educative connesse alla valutazione a scuola. Crediamo che sia importante che tutti coloro che si occupano di educazione con bambini e giovani possano avere una formazione circa lo sviluppo emotivo e sociale, per comprendere in che modo questi aspetti impattino anche sull’apprendimento a scuola. Il titolo originale del progetto “Learning to Be” (“imparare ad essere”) è un augurio affinché questo progetto sia di aiuto per gli studenti e per i docenti nel loro percorso di crescita, per “imparare ad essere” felici e responsabili nei confronti degli altri