Making it to the Academic Path in a Tracked Education System: The Interplay of Individual Agency and Social Origin in Early Educational Transitions

Little is known about the role of agency in transitions in tracked education systems or whether it varies by socioeconomic background. This study addressed this gap by estimating structural equation models based on longitudinal data that are representative of the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (N = 1273 individuals, surveyed from age 6 to 18, mean age at wave 1: M$_{age}$ = 6.54, SD$_{age}$ = 0.50, female = 49%). The findings reveal that agency (captured by study effort and occupational aspirations) and socioeconomic background (measured by parental education and family income) significantly predicted students’ transitions to academically demanding tracks in lower- and upper-secondary education. In the transition to upper-secondary education, students with fewer socioeconomic resources benefitted less than their more advantaged peers from ambitious aspirations, but they benefitted more from exerting effort. These findings suggest that both an optimistic forward-looking orientation and the exertion of effort are required to make it to an academic track. Effort may serve as a “substitutive” resource for less socioeconomically advantaged students, whereas ambitious aspirations may enhance the positive effect of family socioeconomic resources on academic educational trajectories. Overall, the evidence from this study calls for greater attention to investigating not only how agency shapes adolescents’ educational trajectories and opportunities but also how its role differs across social groups

Making it to the Academic Path in a Tracked Education System: The Interplay of Individual Agency and Social Origin in Early Educational Transitions

Little is known about the role of agency in transitions in tracked education systems or whether it varies by socioeconomic background. This study addressed this gap by estimating structural equation models based on longitudinal data that are representative of the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (N = 1273 individuals, surveyed from age 6 to 18, mean age at wave 1: Mage = 6.54, SDage = 0.50, female = 49%). The findings reveal that agency (captured by study effort and occupational aspirations) and socioeconomic background (measured by parental education and family income) significantly predicted students’ transitions to academically demanding tracks in lower- and upper-secondary education. In the transition to upper-secondary education, students with fewer socioeconomic resources benefitted less than their more advantaged peers from ambitious aspirations, but they benefitted more from exerting effort. These findings suggest that both an optimistic forward-looking orientation and the exertion of effort are required to make it to an academic track. Effort may serve as a “substitutive” resource for less socioeconomically advantaged students, whereas ambitious aspirations may enhance the positive effect of family socioeconomic resources on academic educational trajectories. Overall, the evidence from this study calls for greater attention to investigating not only how agency shapes adolescents’ educational trajectories and opportunities but also how its role differs across social groups

Direct and Indirect Bonding Techniques: A Systematic Review

Objective: To assess the scientific evidence on direct and indirect bonding techniques to analyse the differences related to treatment time, number of appointments and number of bracket detachments. Material and Methods: The MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases were searched through to March 2021. Reference lists from the retrieved publications were also examined. The following article types that described data on the different types of direct and indirect bonding techniques in orthodontics were included: prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies and randomized controlled clinical trials (RCCTs). Two review authors independently assessed eligibility, extracted data, and ascertained the quality of the studies. Results: The search strategy initially resulted in 824 articles, and after a careful selection comprising the inclusion criteria, 12 articles were picked for the final review, specifically 2 cohort studies, 4 case-control studies and 6 RCCTs. The methodological quality was low in 4 studies, medium in 2, and high in 6 articles. Conclusion: The evidence currently available suggests that the use of computer-aided bonding is related to a reduction in treatment time and the number of appointments compared to direct and manual indirect bonding. However, the total bonding time for computer-aided bonding technique, including digital bracket placement, was longer than for direct bonding. Further high-quality RCTs on the differences between direct and indirect bonding are necessary to determine more precise data, as well as additional advantages and disadvantages

Multilevel, room-temperature nanoimprint lithography for conjugated polymer-based photonics.

We demonstrate the multilevel patterning of organic light-emitting polymers by room-temperature nanoimprint lithography (RT-NIL), which is impossible to obtain by conventional hot embossing. In particular, we realize one- and two-dimensional photonic crystals with 500 nm periodic features and investigate the changes in the optical properties (luminescence and quantum yield) of the organic active layer. An increase of the quantum yield by 2.4% for the patterned film with respect to the untextured one and the enhancement of the output light emitted at a particular angle (ϑ = 69°) are observed for gratings whose Bragg periodicity matched the emission wavelength of the polymer. The employment of RT-NIL to pattern polymer semiconductors without degradation of their optical properties represents a strategic route for the realization of novel nanopatterned optoelectronic devices

Multivariate factor analysis of milk fatty acid composition in relation to the somatic cell count of single udder quarters

The present study investigated whether the fatty acid composition of milk changes in relation to an increase in the milk somatic cell count (SCC) of separate udder quarters. We investigated the potential of multivariate factor analysis to extract metabolic evidence from data on the quantity and quality of milk of quarters characterized by different SCC levels. We collected data from individual milk samples taken from single quarters of 49 Italian Holstein cows from the same dairy farm. Factor analysis was carried out on 64 individual fatty acids. In line with a previous study on multivariate factor analysis, a variable was considered to be associated with a specific factor if the absolute value of its correlation with the factor was ≥0.60. Seven factors were extracted that explained the following groups of fatty acids or functions: de novo synthesis, energy balance, uptake of dietary fatty acids, biohydrogenation, short-chain fatty acids, very long chain fatty acids, and odd- and branched-chain fatty acids. An ANOVA of factor scores highlighted the significant effects of the SCC level on de novo fatty acids and biohydrogenation. The de novo fatty acid factor decreased significantly with a high level of SCC, from just 10,000 cells/mL, whereas the biohydrogenation factor showed a significantly higher level in quarters with SCC levels greater than 400,000 cells/mL. This statistical approach enabled us to reduce the number of variables to a few latent factors with biological significance and to represent groups of fatty acids with a common origin and function. Multivariate factor analysis could therefore be key to studying the influence of SCC on the lipid metabolism of single quarters. This approach also demonstrated the metabolic differences between quarters of the same animal showing a different level of SCC

Efficacy of facial exercises in facial expression categorization in schizophrenia

Embodied cognition theories suggest that observation of facial expression induces the same pattern of muscle activation, and that this contributes to emotion recognition. Consequently, the inability to form facial expressions would affect emotional understanding. Patients with schizophrenia show a reduced ability to express and perceive facial emotions. We assumed that a physical training specifically developed to mobilize facial muscles could improve the ability to perform facial movements, and, consequently, spontaneous mimicry and facial expression recognition. Twenty-four inpatient participants with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to the experimental and control group. At the beginning and at the end of the study, both groups were submitted to a facial expression categorization test and their data compared. The experimental group underwent a training period during which the lip muscles, and the muscles around the eyes were mobilized through the execution of transitive actions. Participants were trained three times a week for five weeks. Results showed a positive impact of the physical training in the recognition of others' facial emotions, specifically for the responses of "fear", the emotion for which the recognition deficit in the test is most severe. This evidence suggests that a specific deficit of the sensorimotor system may result in a specific cognitive deficit

Making it to the Academic Path in a Tracked Education System: The Interplay of Individual Agency and Social Origin in Early Educational Transitions.

peer reviewedLittle is known about the role of agency in transitions in tracked education systems or whether it varies by socioeconomic background. This study addressed this gap by estimating structural equation models based on longitudinal data that are representative of the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (N = 1273 individuals, surveyed from age 6 to 18, mean age at wave 1: Mage = 6.54, SDage = 0.50, female = 49%). The findings reveal that agency (captured by study effort and occupational aspirations) and socioeconomic background (measured by parental education and family income) significantly predicted students' transitions to academically demanding tracks in lower- and upper-secondary education. In the transition to upper-secondary education, students with fewer socioeconomic resources benefitted less than their more advantaged peers from ambitious aspirations, but they benefitted more from exerting effort. These findings suggest that both an optimistic forward-looking orientation and the exertion of effort are required to make it to an academic track. Effort may serve as a "substitutive" resource for less socioeconomically advantaged students, whereas ambitious aspirations may enhance the positive effect of family socioeconomic resources on academic educational trajectories. Overall, the evidence from this study calls for greater attention to investigating not only how agency shapes adolescents' educational trajectories and opportunities but also how its role differs across social groups

Histological Characteristics, Fatty Acid Composition of Lipid Fractions, and Cholesterol Content of Semimembranosus and Triceps Brachii Muscles in Maremmana and Limousine Bovine Breeds

This study examined the histological properties of Semimembranosus and Triceps brachii muscle in two different bovine breeds, Maremmana (an autochthonous breed from Tuscany, Italy) and Limousine. The animals were grazed in two adjoining pastures, received the same feed supplementation and were weighed monthly. The experimental period lasted from weaning (six months old) to slaughter (19 months old). Muscle samples were collected immediately after slaughter, before carcass cooling. Regarding the histological properties, the number of fibres (TNF), mean sarcolemma perimeter (MSP), cross section area (CSA), and total sarcolemma perimeter (TSP) were determined. Samples were also analysed for proximate composition, fatty acid profile of total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids and for total cholesterol content. Breed was a significant variation factor for the performance parameter and histological muscle fibre properties. Interestingly, despite that Maremmana being a less extensively genetically improved breed than Limousine, it showed higher weight at slaughter (+18%) and daily weight gain (+19%). Maremmana also showed smaller muscle fibres than Limousine and, consequently, the TSP was higher. This difference affected the lipid fraction distribution (Limousine was higher in phospholipids and lower in neutral lipids than Maremmana) and, consequently, the fatty acid composition of total lipids (Limousine was high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, while Maremmana was high in monounsaturated fatty acids). The results of this experiment highlight the importance of environmental and management conditions on the full expression of genotypic potentia

Polymer nanofibers by soft lithography

The fabrication of polymeric fibers by soft lithography is demonstrated. Polyurethane, patterned by capillarity-induced molding with high-resolution elastomeric templates, forms mm-long fibers with a diameter below 0.3 mu m. The Youngs modulus of the fabricated structures, evaluated by force-distance scanning probe spectroscopy, has a value of 0.8 MPa. This is an excellent example of nanostructures feasible by the combination of soft nanopatterning and high-resolution fabrication approaches for master templates, and particularly electron-beam lithography

An RFID-Based Tracing and Tracking System for the Fresh Vegetables Supply Chain

The paper presents an innovative gapless traceability system able to improve the main business processes of the fresh vegetables supply chain. The performed analysis highlighted some critical aspects in the management of the whole supply chain, from the land to the table of the end consumer, and allowed us to reengineer the most important processes. In particular, the first steps of the supply chain, which include cultivation in greenhouses and manufacturing of packaged vegetables, were analyzed. The re-engineered model was designed by exploiting the potentialities derived from the combined use of innovative Radio Frequency technologies, such as RFID and NFC, and important international standards, such as EPCglobal. The proposed tracing and tracking system allows the end consumer to know the complete history of the purchased product. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the potential benefits of the reengineered processes in a real supply chain, a pilot project was implemented in an Italian food company, which produces ready-to-eat vegetables, known asIV gammaproducts. Finally, some important metrics have been chosen to carry out the analysis of the potential benefits derived from the use of the re-engineered model