Teachers’ remaining career opportunities:The role of value fit and school climate

In light of an aging teacher population, this study investigates the influence of school climate and personschool (P-S) value fit on teachers' perspectives regarding their career futures. The results, based on a sample of 147 teachers, indicate that P-S value fit is positively associated with remaining career opportunities, over and above the negative effect of age. In addition, both climate for performance/academic press and climate for socialization affect teachers' future career perspectives through a P-S value fit mechanism. These findings imply that schools can enhance teachers’ perceived remaining career opportunities by creating strong school climates and improving perceived value fit. Keywords: Occupational future time perspective; Career opportunities; Person-school value fit; School climate; Teacher

Radicalization processes and transitional phases in female and male detainees residing in Dutch terrorism wings.

Background: Radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism are risks to societal security. Although research on terrorism-related behaviors is increasing, thorough empirical studies are rare. Methods: This study investigates radicalization processes and transitions in a matched sample of female and male terrorist suspects and convicts (N = 26) residing in Dutch penitentiary terrorism wings. Results:Results show that both men and women often experienced discrimination. A subgroup of women grew up in a stressful family environment and lacked emotional support from their family, whereas the other women did not experience such circumstances. The majority of the study sample was susceptible to connecting with radicalized friends or family members. Interestingly, factors that initially led to radicalization (e.g., a utopian image of the Islamic State) could later turn out to be factors associated with abandoning extremism. Conclusions: In this study, differences in radicalization processes and transitional phases between women and men emerged. Men more often had police contact prior to a terrorism-related offense. Making an effort to right old mistakes seemed important in the radicalization processes of men, whereas women had a stronger desire for emotional support and were more driven by experienced trauma and feelings of loneliness. This study provides input for gender-specific prevention and disengagement interventions

Differentiation between decomposed remains of human origin and bigger mammals

This study is a follow-up study in the search for a human specific marker in the decomposition where the VOC-profile of decomposing human, pig, lamb and roe remains were analyzed using a thermal desorber combined with a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer in a laboratory environment during 6 months. The combination of 8 previously identified human and pig specific compounds (ethyl propionate, propyl propionate, propyl butyrate, ethyl pentanoate, 3-methylthio-1-propanol, methyl(methylthio)ethyl disulfide, diethyl disulfide and pyridine) was also seen in these analyzed mammals. However, combined with 5 additional compounds (hexane, heptane, octane, N-(3-methylbutyl)- and N-(2-methylpropyl)acetamide) human remains could be separated from pig, lamb and roe remains. Based on a higher number of remains analyzed, as compared with the pilot study, it was no longer possible to rely on the 5 previously proposed esters to separate pig from human remains. From this follow-up study reported, it was found that pyridine is an interesting compound specific to human remains. Such a human specific marker can help in the training of cadaver dogs or in the development of devices to search for human remains. However, further investigations have to verify these results.</p

Radiolocalisation and imaging of stably HPLAP-transfected MO4 tumours with monoclonal antibodies and fragments.

Immunotargeting of PLAP-expressing tumours was studied for two radioiodinated, highly specific anti-PLAP monoclonal antibodies, 7E8 and 17E3, differing 10-fold in affinity, as well as for 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments. An anti-CEA monoclonal antibody or anti-CD3 F(ab')2 fragments were used as controls. Specific and non-specific targeting was examined in nude mice simultaneously grafted with PLAP-positive tumours derived from MO4 1-4 cells, and CEA-positive tumours, derived from 5583-S cells. Results indicated that (1) MO4 1-4 tumours, with a stable expression of PLAP on the plasma membrane, represent a useful new in vivo model for immunodirected tumour targeting; (2) differences in antibody affinity for PLAP in vitro are not reflected in antibody avidity for tumour cells in vivo; and (3) excellent selective and specific localisation of the PLAP-positive tumours is achieved when 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments are used. The high tumour/blood ratios (10.7 +/- 3.9 at 46 h after injection) were due to a much faster blood clearance of 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments. At this time point, the mean tumour/non-tumour tissue ratio was as high as 34.5, and the mean specific localisation index was 29.0. As expected, the F(ab')2 fragments provided high tumour imaging efficiency on gamma camera recording. These data imply important potentials of the PLAP/anti-PLAP system for immunolocalisation and therapy in patients, but also emphasise that in vitro criteria alone are not reflected in in vivo tumour localisation capacities of antibodies

Ferulic acid-4-O-sulfate rather than ferulic acid relaxes arteries and lowers blood pressure in mice

Consumption of foods rich in ferulic acid (FA) such as wholegrain cereals, or FA precursors such as chlorogenic acids in coffee, is inversely correlated with risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. As a result of digestion and phase II metabolism in the gut and liver, FA is converted predominantly into ferulic acid-4-O-sulfate (FA-sul), an abundant plasma metabolite. Although FA-sul may be the main metabolite, very little has been reported regarding its bioactivities. We have therefore compared the ex vivo vasorelaxing effect of FA and FA-sul (10−7 - 3.10−5 M) on isolated mouse arteries mounted in tissue myographs. FA-sul, but not FA, elicited a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation of saphenous and femoral arteries and aortae. The FA-sul mediated vasorelaxation was blunted by 1H- [1, 2, 4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibitor. The role of sGC was confirmed in femoral arteries isolated from sGCα1(−/−) knockout mice. Furthermore, 4-aminopyridine, a specific inhibitor of voltage-dependent potassium channels, significantly decreased FA-sul mediated effects. In anesthetized mice, intravenous injection of FA-sul decreased mean arterial pressure, whereas FA had no effect, confirming the results obtained ex vivo. FA-sul is probably one of the major metabolites accounting for the blood pressure-lowering effects associated with FA consumption

Создание развитых интернет-программ на примере построения виджет-программ

Рассмотрено применение методологии создания развитых Интернет-программ на основе Adobe Flex 2.0 с применением паттернов проектирования и архитектурного каркаса. Подход проиллюстрирован построением виджет-программ

Soil biochar amendment in a nature restoration area: effects on plant productivity and community composition

Abstract. Biochar (pyrolyzed biomass) amendment to soils has been shown to have a multitude of positive effects, e.g., on crop yield, soil quality, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. So far the majority of studies have focused on agricultural systems, typically with relatively low species diversity and annual cropping schemes. How biochar amendment affects plant communities in more complex and diverse ecosystems that can evolve over time is largely unknown. We investigated such effects in a field experiment at a Dutch nature restoration area. In April 2011, we set up an experiment using biochar produced from cuttings collected from a local natural grassland. The material was pyrolyzed at 4008C or at 6008C. After biochar or residue (non-pyrolyzed cuttings) application (10 Mg/ha), all plots, including control (0 Mg/ ha) plots, were sown with an 18-species grassland mixture. In August 2011, we determined characteristics of the developed plant community, as well as soil nutrient status. Biochar amendment did not alter total plant productivity, but it had a strong and significant effect on plant community composition. Legumes were three times as abundant and individual legume plants increased four times in biomass in plots that received biochar as compared to the control treatment. Biomass of the most abundant forb (Plantago lanceolata) was not affected by biochar addition. Available phosphorous, potassium, and pH were significantly higher in soils that received biochar than in Control soils. The rate of biological nitrogen fixation and seed germination were not altered by biochar amendment, but the total amount of biological N fixed per Trifolium pratense (red clover) plant was more than four times greater in biochar-amended soil. This study demonstrates that biochar amendment has a strong and rapid effect on plant communities and soil nutrients. Over time these changes may cascade up to other trophic groups, including above-and belowground organisms. Our results emphasize the need for long-term studies that examine not only the short-term effects of biochar amendment, but also follow how these effects evolve over time and affect ecosystem functioning