Incorporating financial literacy into the secondary school accounting curriculum: a New Zealand perspective

This paper examines whether selected stakeholder groups believe accounting should continue to be taught as an elective subject in its current form at New Zealand secondary schools or whether incorporating a financial literacy component would increase the subject’s relevance to students. A mixed method approach combining qualitative and quantitative research methods was used. An electronically administered survey was used to obtain the responses of secondary school accounting teachers, while additional insight in the form of semi-structured interviews was obtained from other stakeholders. Although respondents generally agreed that students benefited from accounting as an elective subject at secondary school, all agreed that the development of financial literacy skills was important. Difficulties in introducing a new core subject into an already overcrowded curriculum were acknowledged. However, this difficulty could be overcome by making modifications to the subject “Accounting”. As the most widespread, existing “finance” related subject, Accounting would be the most appropriate vehicle through which to teach financial literacy

Change of the plane of oscillation of a Foucault pendulum from simple pictures

The change of the plane of oscillation of a Foucault pendulum is calculated without using equations of motion, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem, parallel transport, or assumptions that are difficult to explain.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Submerged Observatory

From the start, humans have assumed that our oceans were resistant to the evolving human habits. We have placed a focus on the endangered life that is visible to the naked eye, yet exempt the unseen oceans from being titled as threatened. Only recently have scientists discovered that human activity is leading to exhaustion within our seas. An expanding consumer lifestyle has led to the mass production of goods and an over-consumption of resources which negatively impacts our oceans and the life within. Because the ocean plays a vital role in Earth’s scientific functionality, preservation actions must be taken immediately. What precautionary measures can we take to aid in the prevention of ocean destruction? In what ways can we adapt to the undeniable changes in our climate and seas? How can we achieve a societal shift and increase stewardship of the ocean? This study provides an architectural response that centralizes ocean health in both its functionality and physicality. It upholds the ideas of education, research, and remediation, aiming to showcase the successes and achievements of ocean preservation efforts. It demonstrates innovative responses to the changing seas and corresponding climate. In order to capture a sense of appreciation and responsibility for ocean health within individuals, the project introduces an experiential opportunity which allows visitors to connect with natural marine life in a way that has never been done before

REPEATED TREATMENT WITH 5-HT1A AND 5-HT1B RECEPTOR AGONISTS: EVIDENCE OF TOLERANCE AND BEHAVIORAL SENSITIZATION

Serotonin has been found to regulate several cognitive and physiological functions, and its role in depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders has been a focus of research. More specifically, a wealth of research regarding serotonin focuses on serotonergic medications in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and stimulates the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors. Within the last decade, there has been an increase in prescriptions of psychotropic medication for children, however, the efficacy and adverse effects of these drugs have not been evaluated in younger populations. While antidepressants reduce symptoms of depression in adults, they are less effective in reducing symptoms in children, and can result in an increased risk of suicidal behavior or ideation, social impairments, and substance abuse. For this reason, there is an urgent need to better understand how the 5-HT1A, and 5-HT1B receptors work in different age groups to find treatments that are efficacious in pediatric populations. RU 24969 is a preclinical serotonergic drug that binds to the serotonin 5-HT 1A and 5-HT1B receptors, that possesses antidepressant qualities in animal models. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether RU 24969 treatment is unique to this preclinical drug or if it is primarily mediated by the stimulation of the 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, or both receptors. A total of 128 male and 128 female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this study. In examining the single-trial effects of each drug, Experiment 1A: rats were pretreated with saline (n = 32) or 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT. After a 24 hr abstinence period, rats previously treated with saline received 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT (n = 8 per group). Subjects initially treated with 8-OH-DPAT were injected with the same dose of 8-OH-DPAT again (n = 8 per group). In Experiment 1B: The procedure was identical to Experiment 1A, except higher doses of 8-OH-DPAT (1, 2, 4, or 8 mg/kg) were administered on PD 20 and PD 22. In Experiment 2: The procedure was identical to Experiment 1A, with the exception that CP 94253 (2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg) was administered instead of 8-OH-DPAT. In Experiment 3: rats were injected with saline or the combined treatment of 4 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT plus 5 mg/kg CP 94253. Experiment 4: In examining the repeated effects of each drug during a PD 17–20 pretreatment phase, rats were injected with saline (n = 24) or 4 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT, 5 mg/kg CP 94253, or DPAT+CP (n = 8 per drug group) and immediately placed in activity chambers. On PD 22, rats previously administered saline were injected with 8-OH-DPAT, CP 94253, or DPAT+CP (n = 8 per group), whereas rats initially given one of the drug treatments were given the same drug treatment again (n = 8 per group). Distance traveled and motoric capacity were measured during each 45-minute session, while axillary temperatures were measured immediately after each session. Our findings revealed (across all experiments), all drug groups (8-OH-DPAT, CP 94253, and DPAT+CP) increased locomotor activity and caused hypothermia on the first pretreatment day. In our single-trial studies (Experiments 1-3), only 8-OH-DPAT and CP 94253 caused tolerance to the hypothermic effects. Additionally, CP 94253 causes tolerance to motoric impairment, while DPAT+CP causes a sensitized motoric impairment. When given repeatedly (Experiment 4), 8-OH-DPAT caused locomotor sensitization and tolerance to axial temperatures. CP 94253 caused tolerance to locomotor activity and axial temperatures. Lastly, DPAT+CP caused locomotor sensitization and tolerance to axial temperatures. In summary, the effects observed through single and multi- trial paradigms with the direct agonists 8-OH-DPAT and CP 94253 administered alone and in combination differ from the mixed agonist RU 24969. This suggests that therapeutic effects observed with RU 24969 treatment are unique and may possibly stimulate receptors that are still undiscovered

Attitude, Culture, and Teaching Mathematics

International assessments have revealed discrepancies between the mathematics achievement scores of various countries and also between the scores of male and female students around the world. Although math education may look similar on the surface in different countries, there are subtle differences in the methods and the attitudes that teachers and students adopt from their cultures. These differences may be explained in part by the theory of mindsets, specifically the contrast between fixed and growth mindsets. Mindset theory illuminates the impact of beliefs and values on academic achievement, particularly in the area of math. These same principles also seem to apply to the gender gap in mathematics that exists in varying degrees throughout the world

HoneybeeZZZ [1st grade]

First grade students will engage in a research unit about honey bees, learning about colony demographics, habitats, pollination patterns and preferences, and their importance within the agriculture world. The goal is for students to understand the importance of honeybees and their impact on our global and local ecological systems

Assessing Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among College Students

Eating disorders have become a subject of concern for college-aged young adults in recent years. Risk factors like social media use are contributing to an increase in affected students, and research suggests that gender along with other variables plays a significant role. This thesis examined the current research on eating disorders and risk factors associated with their development. Through an online survey, information from freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate students at The University of Southern Mississippi regarding their current eating behaviors, feelings toward food and body, and demographic information was collected. Data collected indicated the student population’s level of disordered eating, which was compared with the findings of previous research

Amyloid beta resistance and the Warburg effect: Re-examining Alzheimer\u27s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by deposition of the amyloid beta (Ab) peptide in the brain, an event which frequently but not universally correlates with nerve cell death. Although most nerve cells die in response to Ab, small populations of cells are able to survive by becoming resistant to Ab toxicity. Understanding the mechanisms by which cells become resistant to Ab may reveal novel treatments for AD. Interestingly, nerve cell lines selected for resistance against Ab exhibit increased glucose uptake and glycolytic flux. Here I show that these metabolic changes are mediated through an upregulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) and increased lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) activity. These metabolic alterations in Ab resistant nerve cells are reminiscent of the Warburg effect, also known as aerobic glycolysis, a common anti-apoptotic mechanism elicited by cancer cells. Similar to cancer cells, Ab-resistant nerve cells exhibit reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Inhibiting PDK1 or LDHA expression or activity re-sensitized resistant cells to Ab toxicity. In contrast, overexpression of either PDK1 or LDHA in sensitive cells conferred resistance to Ab and other neurotoxins. Importantly, cells overexpressing either PDK1 or LDHA displayed repressed mitochondrial oxygen consumption with a concomitant decrease in mitochondrial ROS levels. Furthermore, these cells maintained cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pools when exposed to Ab, whereas sensitive cells became depleted of ATP. Immunoblot analysis revealed a decrease in PDK1 and LDHA levels in mouse primary cortical neurons treated with Aβ and in cortical tissue extracts from 12-month-old AD transgenic (APPswe/PS1dE9) mice. A similar decrease in PDK1 expression was observed in post-mortem brain extracts from AD patients. Treatment of cultured nerve cell lines and primary cortical neurons with CNB-001 and J147, novel neurotrophic drugs that prevent cognitive decline in AD mice, restored PDK1 and LDHA expression following Ab treatment. Moreover, PDK1 expression was maintained in AD mice fed CNB-001. Collectively, these findings suggest that the Warburg effect plays a central role in mediating neuronal resistance to Αβ by decreasing mitochondrial activity and subsequent ROS production. Loss of this protective effect may render elderly individuals susceptible to AD