bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relative ratios of collagen composition of periarticular tissue of joints of the upper limb
Authors: Cheah A. , Harris A. , Le W. , Huang Y. , Yao J.
Published: October 2016

We investigated the relative ratios of collagen composition of periarticular tissue of the elbow, wrist, metacarpophalangeal, proximal and distal interphalangeal joints. Periarticulat tissue, which we defined as the ligaments, palmar plate and capsule, was harvested from ten fresh-frozen cadaveric upper limbs, yielding 50 samples. The mean paired differences (95% confidence interval) of the relative ratios of collagen between the five different joints were estimated using mRNA expression of collagen in the periarticular tissue. We found that the relative collagen composition of the elbow was not significantly different to that of the proximal interphalangeal joint, nor between the proximal interphalangeal joint and distal interphalangeal joint, whereas the differences in collagen composition between all the other paired comparisons of the joints had confidence intervals that did not include zero.
Management of anaemia in oncohaematological patients treated with biosimilar epoetin alfa: results of an Italian observational, retrospective study
Authors: Rosti Giovanni , Petrini Mario , Bosi Alberto , Galieni Piero , Bernardi Daniele , Giglio Gianfranco , Dorotea Laura , Falini Brunangelo , Scelzi Elvira , Veltri Enzo , Castelli Roberto , Longagnani Chiara , Raggi Tommaso , Simonetti Federico
Published: October 2016

Background:

Many patients with solid tumours or nonmyeloid haematopoietic tumours develop symptomatic anaemia, which has a major impact on quality of life (QoL). The efficacy of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in improving QoL and reducing blood transfusions has been widely demonstrated. Binocrit® (biosimilar epoetin alfa) is an ESA indicated in the European Union for treating chemotherapy-induced anaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Binocrit® on haemoglobin (Hb) levels in anaemic cancer patients in Italian clinical practice.

Methods:

The ANEMONE study was a national, longitudinal, retrospective, multicentre observational study. Patients had to be 18 years or older, with a solid tumour or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease or multiple myeloma, receiving chemotherapy, and treated with Binocrit® to manage chemotherapy-induced anaemia. The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients with a Hb increase ⩾1 g/dl during the first 4 weeks and with a Hb increase ⩾2 g/dl during the first 12 weeks.

Results:

A total of 245 patients were enrolled and 215 patients were evaluable for statistical analysis. In the first 4 weeks, 49.3% of patients showed an increase in Hb of ⩾1 g/dl: 45.5% in patients with solid tumours and 52.1% in patients with haematological malignancies. In the first 12 weeks, 51.6% of patients showed an increase in Hb of ⩾2 g/dl (48.4% solid tumours, 54.2% haematological diseases). Treatment with Binocrit® was well tolerated.

Conclusions:

These results confirm the effectiveness and safety of Binocrit® for chemotherapy-induced anaemia in routine practice in patients with solid tumours, lymphoma and myeloma.
Analysis of “Randomized Cross-Over Study Comparing Two Infusion Sets for CSII in Daily Life”
Authors: Renard Eric
Published: October 2016

In an article in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Freckmann et al report an evaluation of 2 infusion sets used for CSII in daily life, both from Roche. Because the 2 catheters differed at the soft cannula level in terms of geometry and introducer needle, focus was made on pain at insertion. While no significant difference was noted on this primary endpoint, unplanned catheter changes occurred in close to 20% of cases also with both catheter models, mainly driven by apparent insulin delivery issues. Since kinked cannulas were not frequent, there is a clear need for better understanding of “unexplained hyperglycemia” as the main reason for reduction of catheter lifetime. Fixing this weak aspect of CSII becomes crucial while moving toward closed-loop insulin delivery.
Research Becomes You: Cultivating EdD Students’ Identities as Educational Leaders and Researchers and a “Learning by Doing” Meta-Study
Authors: Buss Ray R. , Avery Andrea
Published: October 2016

We examined how end-of-first-year students in a Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)-affiliated EdD program were developing professional identities as educational leaders and researchers. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed substantial development of leadership skills, but even greater growth in perceptions of research skills. Qualitative data indicated students “tried out” leadership and research skills in their workplaces. These provisional efforts were consistent with the notion of possible selves or provisional selves in which individuals try on identities. Implications for program leaders and students are also discussed. In addition, we reported on a-study-within-a-study: We examined our efforts in learning/teaching research skills as the study was conducted.
Safety and efficacy of azacitidine in elderly patients with intermediate to high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Navada Shyamala C. , Silverman Lewis R.
Published: October 2016

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by morphologic features of dyspoiesis, a hyperproliferative bone marrow, and one or more peripheral blood cytopenias. In patients classified according to the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (R-IPSS) with intermediate or higher-risk disease, there is an increased risk of death due to progressive bone marrow failure or transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Azacitidine was the first DNA hypomethylating agent approved by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of MDS and the only therapy that has demonstrated a significant survival benefit over conventional care regimens (CCRs) in patients with intermediate or higher-risk disease. Prolonged survival is independent of achieving a complete remission. Azacitidine has been used in older patients with both clinical and hematological improvement as well as an acceptable side effect profile. The most common adverse effect is myelosuppression. These findings support the use of azacitidine as an effective treatment in older patients with higher-risk MDS.
The Whole is Other Than the Sum: Perceived Contrast Summation Within Color and Luminance Plaids
Authors: Cherniawsky Avital S. , Mullen Kathy T.
Published: October 2016

The apparent contrast of a plaid is a reflection of the neural relationship between the responses to its two orthogonal component gratings. To investigate the perceived contrast summation of the responses to component gratings in plaids, we compared the apparent contrasts of monocular plaids to a component grating presented alone across chromaticity and spatial frequency. Observers performed a contrast-matching task for red–green color and luminance stimuli at low- and medium-spatial frequencies. Using the measured points of subjective equality between plaids and gratings, we evaluate perceived contrast summation across conditions, which may vary between 1 (no summation) and 2 (full summation). We show that achromatic plaids have higher perceived contrast summation than chromatic plaids. The greatest difference occurs at the medium-spatial frequency, with summation highest for achromatic plaids (1.87) and lowest for chromatic plaids (1.49), while at low-spatial frequencies, there is a smaller summation difference between achromatic (1.72) and chromatic (1.65) plaids. These results are consistent with recent theories of distinct cross-orientation suppression and summation mechanisms in color and luminance vision. Two control experiments for binocular versus monocular viewing, and the overall size of the stimulus patches did not reveal any differences from our main results.
What the Tweets say: A critical analysis of Twitter research in language learning from 2009 to 2016
Authors: Hattem David , Lomicka Lara
Published: October 2016

This study presents an overview and critical analysis of the literature related to Twitter and language learning published from 2009 to 2016. Seventeen studies were selected for inclusion based on a four-phase identification procedure, which helped us to identify published studies that resulted in a content analysis of themes in the articles emerging from the data set. Guiding questions include the following: What types of research have been conducted on Twitter in educational settings? How was Twitter used for language learning? What educational benefits were found by using Twitter for language learning? and What challenges and future research does the current research offer for Twitter and language learning? The analysis points to the potential of microblogging as a way to promote interaction and communication, potentially with native speakers, to build community, and to encourage noticing and negotiation of meaning. Results reveal that Twitter is used diversely in language education settings; it can be used at different levels, settings, and with a variety of tasks. They also shed light on educational practices and how language learning students interact with native speakers, develop language skills and competencies, and build community in the language classroom.
An investigation of State Educational Twitter Hashtags (SETHs) as affinity spaces
Authors: Rosenberg Joshua M , Greenhalgh Spencer P , Koehler Matthew J , Hamilton Erica R , Akcaoglu Mete
Published: October 2016

Affinity spaces are digital or physical spaces in which participants interact with one another around content of shared interest and through a common portal (or platform). Among teachers, some of the largest affinity spaces may be those organized around hashtags on Twitter: These spaces are public, largely unmoderated, and thriving, yet very little is known about them, especially those based in geographical areas such as American states. This paper examines these potential affinity spaces by providing the first large-scale study of them in the form of an examination of 47 State Educational Twitter Hashtags (SETHs). Collecting over 550,000 tweets over 6 months, our analysis focused on who is participating in SETHs, how active participants are, and when participation occurred. We found support for two of Gee's tenets of affinity spaces, in particular many interactions through a shared portal. Though the content of tweets were not the focus, this study’s findings lend support to efforts to identify which particular SETHs will be best suited to subsequent analysis of their content and what times subsequent analysis might most productively focus on. We discuss implications for how we conceive of teacher professional development and suggest directions for future research focused on the content of tweets associated with SETHs.
Challenges affecting adoption of e-learning in public universities in Kenya
Authors: Mutisya Dorothy N , Makokha George L
Published: October 2016

Public universities in Kenya are, today, turning to the use of e-learning in an attempt to cope with the rapidly increasing demand for university education. This research was conducted between February 2012 and February 2014 to determine the challenges affecting the adoption of e-learning in these institutions of higher learning. Data were collected using questionnaires administered to 420 lecturers and 210 students, and analysed through the use of simple descriptive statistics. Lecturers ranked heavy workloads the most serious challenge affecting the adoption of e-learning, followed by: insufficient Internet connectivity, denial of copyrights for their developed e-learning modules, limited information and communication technology (ICT) skills, lack of incentives, shortage of computers/laptops, inadequate computer laboratories, and insufficient time for online interaction. Students, on the other hand, ranked insufficient Internet connectivity the number-one challenge, followed by: lack of computers/laptops, inadequate computer laboratories, limited ICT skills, and insufficient time for online interaction. The paper concludes that as a result of these challenges, the adoption of e-learning is slow and still at its infancy stage in public universities in Kenya. It recommends that universities should invest heavily in the improvement of e-learning infrastructure, e-learning content development, capacity building, attitude change, and enhancement of e-learning awareness.
Ambedkar’s Framing of the ‘Political’ within Ethical Practice
Authors: Kadambi Rajeev
Published: October 2016

This article advances Ambedkar’s recasting of pure politics and the political within an ethical framework. It explores Ambedkar’s ethos of radical action grounded in the limitation of the state, law and institutional structures to transform society. In foregrounding Ambedkar’s idea of transformation and change through practices of the self, the essay locates self-transformation as going beyond a critique of existing social and economic frameworks. In furtherance, this view captures an ethics of internal transformation resulting from the change in moral conduct achieved through voluntary conversion. Dhamma was based on techniques of self-restraint that stressed on an unremitting duty owed to the other including an adversary and stranger. It inaugurated an inclusive and ecological notion of kinship based on empathy and friendship whose aim was to break down all barriers and create a compassionate society. Ambedkar furnishes us with an original formulation to think through a notion of compassionate justice from the moral lexicon of the broken men.
Women Police in the City of Delhi: Gender Hierarchies, ‘Pariah Femininities’ and the Politics of Presence
Authors: Khanikar Santana
Published: October 2016

This article examines a broadly accepted assumption that presence of women personnel makes police forces more gender-just, and makes an attempt to study in the context of Delhi Police, how the inclusion of women personnel impacts gendered hierarchies and patriarchal social norms operative within the space of a thana. Drawing on ethnographic research, I argue that the day-to-day practices and relations between men and women personnel in a police station do not give out a picture of a gender-just institutional set-up. Further, I argue that abuse and humiliation of women personnel within the thana is not something totally disconnected from what the institution’s official attitude towards women is, as could be read from various public campaigns of Delhi Police that infantilize and objectify women while talking of ‘protective’ men as role models. In this context, it is argued that merely inducting women into the institution without an active feminist practice against essentialization of women would not bring emancipatory outcomes.
Quota for Patels? The Neo-middle-class Syndrome and the (partial) Return of Caste Politics in Gujarat
Authors: Jaffrelot Christophe
Published: October 2016

The Patels, a dominant caste of Gujarat, rallied around the Congress in the 1920s and remained behind the ruling party until the 1980s, when they shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because of the pro-Other Backward Classes (OBCs) reservation policy of the Congress Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki. As evident from the 2015 local elections, rural Patels are getting back to Congress. They resent the fact that the BJP, the ruling party for almost two decades, refuses to include Patels on the list of the OBCs. This demand, articulated by Hardik Patel, and other youth leaders, reflects the growing socio-economic inequalities within this caste group, not only because of the gap between peasants and urban dwellers but also because of the scarcity of good jobs in the private sectors, one of the outcomes of the ‘Gujarat model’.
Association Between Meniscal and Chondral Lesions and Timing of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: de Campos Gustavo Constantino , Nery Wilton , Teixeira Paulo Eduardo Portes , Araujo Paulo Henrique , Alves Wilson de Mello
Published: October 2016

Background:

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common sports injury and is known to be associated with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis. Several studies have indicated that the risk of additional injuries to the menisci and articular cartilage increases with delays in the treatment of ACL tears. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the ideal timing for ACL reconstruction in terms of preventing secondary lesions.

Purpose:

To determine how the time elapsed between an ACL lesion and its reconstruction affects the incidence of meniscal and chondral lesions.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Medical records of 764 patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction were reviewed. Data from arthroscopic findings that included information about meniscal lesions and full-thickness articular cartilage lesions at the time of surgery were collected. The association between time elapsed between ACL lesion and reconstruction surgery and incidence of articular cartilage and meniscal lesions was analyzed by chi-square or Fisher exact test. The risk of secondary lesion was calculated by odds ratios (ORs) obtained from simple logistic regression analysis.

Results:

A positive correlation was observed between time after injury and the presence of any articular lesions ( P = .003), cartilage lesions ( P = .01), and medial meniscus lesions ( P < .001). When analyzing the risk of secondary lesion relative to the reference period (<2 months), it was observed that the odds of finding any articular injury at the time of ACL reconstruction increased when the time from ACL injury to surgery was between 12 and 24 months (OR = 2.62) and >24 months (OR = 5.88). Furthermore, the odds of lesions on the medial meniscus increased when the timing between injury and surgery was 6 to 12 months (OR = 2.71) and continued to increase when the timing was 12 to 24 months (OR = 3.78) and >24 months (OR = 9.07).

Conclusion:

Associated articular lesions are more common if ACL reconstruction is delayed by ≥6 months (medial meniscus lesion) and ≥1 year (chondral or any meniscal lesion).
Atorvastatin enhances endothelial cell function in posttransplant poor graft function
Authors: Shi Min-Min , Kong Yuan , Song Yang , Sun Yu-Qian , Wang Yu , Zhang Xiao-Hui , Xu Lan-Ping , Liu Kai-Yan , Huang Xiao-Jun
Published: October 2016

Key Points

Dysfunctional BM EPCs were found in subjects with PGF postallotransplant. BM EPCs from subjects with PGF were enhanced by atorvastatin through downregulation of the p38 MAPK pathway.
Subcellular protein expression models for microsatellite instability in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue images
Authors: Kovacheva Violeta N. , Rajpoot Nasir M.
Published: October 2016

Background

New bioimaging techniques capable of visualising the co-location of numerous proteins within individual cells have been proposed to study tumour heterogeneity of neighbouring cells within the same tissue specimen. These techniques have highlighted the need to better understand the interplay between proteins in terms of their colocalisation.

Results

We recently proposed a cellular-level model of the healthy and cancerous colonic crypt microenvironments. Here, we extend the model to include detailed models of protein expression to generate synthetic multiplex fluorescence data. As a first step, we present models for various cell organelles learned from real immunofluorescence data from the Human Protein Atlas. Comparison between the distribution of various features obtained from the real and synthetic organelles has shown very good agreement. This has included both features that have been used as part of the model input and ones that have not been explicitly considered. We then develop models for six proteins which are important colorectal cancer biomarkers and are associated with microsatellite instability, namely MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6, P53 and PTEN. The protein models include their complex expression patterns and which cell phenotypes express them. The models have been validated by comparing distributions of real and synthesised parameters and by application of frameworks for analysing multiplex immunofluorescence image data.

Conclusions

The six proteins have been chosen as a case study to illustrate how the model can be used to generate synthetic multiplex immunofluorescence data. Further proteins could be included within the model in a similar manner to enable the study of a larger set of proteins of interest and their interactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first model for expression of multiple proteins in anatomically intact tissue, rather than within cells in culture.
Substance P–mediated chemokine production promotes monocyte migration
Authors: Spitsin Sergei , Meshki John , Winters Angela , Tuluc Florin , Benton Tami D , Douglas Steven D
Published: October 2016

The neuropeptide SP has physiologic and pathophysiologic roles in CNS and peripheral tissues and is involved in crosstalk between nervous and immune systems in various conditions, including HIV and SIV infection. Increased SP levels were demonstrated in plasma of HIV+ individuals as well as in the CNS of SIV-infected, nonhuman primates. SP increases HIV infection in macrophages through interaction with its receptor, NK1R. The SP effect on immune system is both pro- and anti-inflammatory and includes up-regulation of a number of cytokines and cell receptors. The main goal of this study was to determine whether there is interplay between monocyte exposure to SP and recruitment into sites of inflammation. We now demonstrate that exposure of either human macrophages or PBMCs to SP leads to increased production of chemokines, including MCP-1, for which expression is limited to cells of the myeloid lineage. This effect is inhibited by the NK1R antagonist, aprepitant. Exposure to conditioned medium derived from SP-treated PBMCs resulted in increased monocyte migration through semipermeable membranes and an in vitro human BBB model. Monocyte migration was blocked by anti–MCP-1 antibodies. Our results suggest that increased SP levels associated with HIV and other inflammatory conditions may contribute to increased monocyte migration into the CNS and other tissues through a MCP-1–dependent mechanism.
Danger-associated molecular patterns in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Venegas Carmen , Heneka Michael T
Published: October 2016

Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and endogenous “danger” signals, known as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), released from cells alert the innate immune system and activate several signal transduction pathways through interactions with the highly conserved pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Both PAMPs and DAMPs directly induce proinflammatory cascades and trigger the formation of the inflammasome, mediating the release of cytokines. Here, we highlight the role of DAMPs, including amyloid β (Aβ), high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), the S100 family proteins, chromogranin A, and nucleic acids, in the innate-immune activation during the course of Alzheimer disease (AD), the most frequent neurodegenerative disorder.
Six3 dosage mediates the pathogenesis of holoprosencephaly
Authors: Geng Xin , Acosta Sandra , Lagutin Oleg , Gil Hyea Jin , Oliver Guillermo
Published: October 2016

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is defined as the incomplete separation of the two cerebral hemispheres. The pathology of HPE is variable and, based on the severity of the defect, HPE is divided into alobar, semilobar, and lobar. Using a novel hypomorphic Six3 allele, we demonstrate in mice that variability in Six3 dosage results in different HPE phenotypes. Furthermore, we show that whereas the semilobar phenotype results from severe downregulation of Shh expression in the rostral diencephalon ventral midline, the alobar phenotype is caused by downregulation of Foxg1 expression in the anterior neural ectoderm. Consistent with these results, in vivo activation of the Shh signaling pathway rescued the semilobar phenotype but not the alobar phenotype. Our findings show that variations in Six3 dosage result in different forms of HPE.
ZO-1 interactions with F-actin and occludin direct epithelial polarization and single lumen specification in 3D culture
Authors: Odenwald Matthew A. , Choi Wangsun , Buckley Aaron , Shashikanth Nitesh , Joseph Nora E. , Wang Yitang , Warren Michael H. , Buschmann Mary M. , Pavlyuk Roman , Hildebrand Jeffrey , Margolis Ben , Fanning Alan S. , Turner Jerrold R.
Published: October 2016

Epithelia within tubular organs form and expand lumens. Failure of these processes can result in serious developmental anomalies. Although tight junction assembly is critical to epithelial polarization, the contribution of specific tight junction proteins to lumenogenesis is undefined. Here, we show that ZO-1 is necessary for single lumen formation. Epithelia lacking this tight junction scaffolding protein form cysts with multiple lumens and are defective in the earliest phases of polarization, both in 2D and 3D. Expression of ZO-1 domain-deletion mutants demonstrated that the actin binding region and U5-GuK domain are critical to single lumen development. For actin binding region, but not U5-GuK domain, mutants, this could be overcome by strong polarization cues from the extracellular matrix. Analysis of the U5-GuK binding partners shroom2, α-catenin, and occludin showed that only occludin deletion led to multi-lumen cysts. Like ZO-1-deficiency, occludin deletion also led to mitotic spindle orientation defects. Single lumen formation required the occludin OCEL domain, which binds to ZO-1. We conclude that ZO-1-occludin interactions regulate multiple phases of epithelial polarization by providing cell-intrinsic signals that are required for single lumen formation.
Junctophilin-2 in the nanoscale organisation and functional signalling of ryanodine receptor clusters in cardiomyocytes
Authors: Munro Michelle L. , Jayasinghe Izzy , Wang Qiongling , Quick Ann , Wang Wei , Baddeley David , Wehrens Xander H. T. , Soeller Christian
Published: October 2016

Signalling nanodomains requiring close contact between the plasma membrane and internal compartments, known as ‘junctions’, are fast communication hubs within excitable cells such as neurones and muscle. Here, we have examined two transgenic murine models probing the role of junctophilin-2, a membrane-tethering protein crucial for the formation and molecular organisation of sub-microscopic junctions in ventricular muscle cells of the heart. Quantitative single-molecule localisation microscopy showed that junctions in animals producing above-normal levels of junctophilin-2 were enlarged, allowing the re-organisation of the primary functional protein within it, the ryanodine receptor (RyR; in this paper, we use RyR to refer to the myocardial isoform RyR2). Although this change was associated with much enlarged RyR clusters that, due to their size, should be more excitable, functionally it caused a mild inhibition in the Ca2+ signalling output of the junctions (Ca2+ sparks). Analysis of the single-molecule densities of both RyR and junctophilin-2 revealed an ∼3-fold increase in the junctophilin-2 to RyR ratio. This molecular rearrangement is compatible with direct inhibition of RyR opening by junctophilin-2 to intrinsically stabilise the Ca2+ signalling properties of the junction and thus the contractile function of the cell.
Alternative splicing of the OCC-1 gene generates three splice variants and a novel exonic microRNA, which regulate the Wnt signaling pathway
Authors: Najafi Hadi , Soltani Bahram M. , Dokanehiifard Sadat , Nasiri Shirzad , Mowla Seyed Javad
Published: October 2016

The Wnt signaling pathway is hyperactivated in most colorectal cancers (CRC). Finding new regulators of this pathway represents the potential for cancer diagnosis or treatment. OCC-1 was initially reported as an up-regulated gene in colon carcinoma, without knowing its mechanism of action. Here, two novel transcript variants and an exonic microRNA that originated from the OCC-1 gene are reported, showing positive effects on Wnt activity. Up-regulation of the known OCC-1 variant (assigned as OCC-1A/B) was limited to CRC, and its overexpression increased survival of CRC-originated SW480 cells (Wnt+), while resulting in apoptosis of Wnt-suppressed SW480 cells or HeLa cells (Wnt–) detected by PI staining. Immunocytochemistry showed that the OCC-1A/B-encoded peptide was localized to the nucleus, where its overexpression resulted in Wnt signaling up-regulation, detected by TOP/FOPflash assay. The noncoding portion of the OCC-1A/B transcript had a suppressive effect on Wnt activity and had a negative correlation with APPL2 neighboring gene expression. Unlike OCC-1A/B, the novel OCC-1C splice variant had no expression alteration in CRC, and it seemed to encode a smaller peptide with cytoplasmic localization. A 60-nucleotide (nt) fragment containing an AUG start codon is spliced out to produce an OCC-1D noncoding RNA variant. The 60-nt RNA was validated as the precursor of a novel microRNA, which we named miR-ex1. Both OCC-1D and miR-ex1 were coordinately up-regulated in CRC. MiR-ex1 functional analysis revealed that it is targeting the APC2 tumor suppressor gene and is an activator of the Wnt signaling pathway. Overall, the OCC-1 gene is now introduced as a novel Wnt signaling regulator and as a potential therapeutic target.
Διερεύνηση δυσκολιών Παραγωγικής Μορφολογικής Επίγνωσης που αφορούν σε δοκιμασίες παραγωγικών τύπων με και χωρίς θεματική αλλαγή σε δυσλεξικούς και μη δυσλεξικούς μαθητές
Authors: Μότση Σοφία , Σταυρόπουλος Βασίλειος
Published: October 2016

Περίληψη
Η ανάπτυξη της Μορφολογικής Επίγνωσης (ΜΕ) αποτελεί σύνθετη διαδικασία και εξελίσσεται με βάση την ηλικία. Τα ευρήματα της σχετικής με το θέμα ερευνητικής αρθρογραφίας συγκλίνουν στο ότι οι σύνθετοι τύποι παράγωγων λέξεων επηρεάζουν τη ΜΕ των μαθητών με δυσλεξία και ειδικότερα εκείνοι με ορθογραφικές ή φωνολογικές αλλαγές ως προς το θέμα. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι να διερευνήσει τις δυσκολίες Παραγωγικής Μορφολογικής Επίγνωσης (ΠΜΕ) μαθητών δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης με και χωρίς δυσλεξία σε δοκιμασίες παραγωγικών τύπων με και χωρίς θεματική αλλαγή. Οι δοκιμασίες ΠΜΕ στις οποίες εξετάστηκαν οι συμμετέχοντες αφορούσαν σε συμπλήρωση πρότασης με παράγωγη λέξη από τη λεξική βάση που δινόταν, και αντίστροφα, σε σχηματισμό της λεξικής βάσης από παράγωγη λέξη. Όλες οι δοκιμασίες περιελάμβαναν ισόποσο αριθμό παραγωγικών τύπων με και χωρίς θεματική αλλαγή. Από τη σχετική ανάλυση των αποτελεσμάτων διαπιστώθηκε ότι οι μαθητές χωρίς δυσλεξία σημείωσαν συνολικά καλύτερες επιδόσεις συγκριτικά με εκείνες των μαθητών με δυσλεξία, ενώ ανεξάρτητα από την τάξη φοίτησης, οι μαθητές με δυσλεξία σημείωσαν χαμηλότερες επιδόσεις σε έργα ΠΜΕ με φωνολογική αλλαγή ως προς το θέμα συγκριτικά με εκείνες των μαθητών χωρίς δυσλεξία. Επιπλέον, παρατηρήθηκαν αναπτυξιακές διαφορές στο σύνολο των δοκιμασιών.
Συγκριτική προσέγγιση της επιθετικής συμπεριφοράς των παιδιών με αυτισμό στην σχολική ηλικία
Authors: Νόβα Χρυσή
Published: October 2016

Περίληψη

Η διαταραχή του αυτισμού και το συνδεόμενο με αυτή φαινόμενο της επιθετικότητας αποτελούν τον βασικό πυλώνα της εν λόγω ανακοίνωσης. Ειδικότερα, σύμφωνα με το DSM-IV-TR o αυτισμός ανήκει στην ομάδα των  Διάχυτων Αναπτυξιακών Διαταραχών, οι οποίες χαρακτηρίζονται απο διάφορα ελλείματα στην γνωστική, κοινωνική και συναισθηματική ανάπτυξη, αλλά και απο άσκοπες επαναλαμβανόμενες δραστηριότητες  που χαρακτηρίζουν το άτομο (Παπαδάτος, 2010). Ανάλογα συμπτώματα παρατηρούνται και στην περίπτωση του αυτισμού, αφού το άτομο εκτελεί παρόμοιες επαναλαμβανόμενες στερεοτυπικές κινήσεις καθώς και εμφανίζει δυσκολία στην επικοινωνία με κύριο χαρακτηριστικό την απουσία βλεμματικής επαφής (Συνοδινού, 2007). Οι δυσκολίες που αντιμετωπίζει το παιδί με αυτισμό στην επικοινωνία έχουν επίπτωση και στην συμπεριφορά του στο σχολικό πλαίσιο και κυρίως στις κοινωνικές τους συναναστροφές με βασικό σύμπτωμα την απρόκλητη επιθετικότητα προς τους άλλους (Βάρβογλη, 2005). Στην συγκεκριμένη έρευνα πραγματοποιείται ποιοτική περιγραφική προσέγγιση μέσω της συμμετοχικής παρατήρησης σε δείγμα τεσσάρων παιδιών σχολικής ηλικίας, ήτοι, δύο αγοριών και δύο κοριτσιών απο οκτώ (8) έως δεκατεσσάρων (14) ετών. Στόχος αυτής συνίσταται στη συγκριτική διερεύνηση της επιθετικής συμπεριφοράς των παιδιών με αυτισμό, προκειμένου να καταστεί κατανοήσιμη και ορθά αντιμετωπίσιμη απο την επιστημονική κοινότητα, αλλα και απο τους δασκάλους και τους γονείς. Όπως φάνηκε από την ανάλυση της κλείδας παρατήρησης παρατηρήθηκε διαφορά στην επιθετική συμπεριφορά σε σχέση με την ανεξάρτητη μεταβλητή φύλο, όπως και σε σχέση με το ηλικιακό εύρος.  
Η διδασκαλία των ξένων γλωσσών στα μονοπάτια της τέχνης. Παρουσίαση εφαρμογής στο μάθημα των γαλλικών.
Authors: Σάμιος Γουσταύος
Published: October 2016

Στη ξενόγλωσση εκπαίδευση η κουλτούρα σημασιολογείται ως ανθρωπολογική κουλτούρα και ως καλλιεργημένη κουλτούρα. Η έμφαση δίνεται στην πρώτη όπου προσεγγίζεται ο πολιτισμός υπό την εθνολογική του διάσταση. Η καλλιεργημένη κουλτούρα στην οποία εδράζονται όλες οι μορφές της τέχνης ουσιαστικά δεν αξιοποιείται, γεγονός που δεν συνάδει με τον επιδιωκόμενο σκοπό της εκπαίδευσης: την ολόπλευρη ανάπτυξη της προσωπικότητας των μαθητών. Εκκινώντας από τις θέσεις αυτές, την περίοδο 2012-2013 οι μαθητές της Β΄ και Γ΄ Τάξης του Γυμνασίου Παναγιάς Διασέλλου Άρτας εκπόνησαν το διαθεματικό πρόγραμμα ‘25 Μικροί Δημιουργοί «βλέπουν» γαλλική ποίηση’. Σκοπός της εισήγησης είναι μέσα από την παρουσίαση του εν λόγω προγράμματος να αναδειχθεί η σπουδαιότητα της υλοποίησης βιωματικών δράσεων που θεμελιώνονται στην αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ των καλών τεχνών και του λόγου ως εργαλείων ποιοτικής μάθησης.

 
Διερευνώντας την παραβατικότητα των μαθητών/τριών από τη σκοπιά των γονέων
Authors: Τριανταφύλλου Ευπραξία , Βοιυδούρη Αγγελική , Κοντοσώρου Αναστασία
Published: October 2016

Η παρούσα εργασία πραγματεύεται το θέμα της παραβατικότητας των ανηλίκων στην Ελλάδα. Η νεανική παραβατικότητα αποτελεί ένα μείζον κοινωνικό ζήτημα που πλέον έχει πάρει τεράστιες διαστάσεις και στην χώρα μας. Τα ερωτήματα που εγείρονται είναι πολλά. Ωστόσο, η παρούσα έρευνα έδωσε βαρύτητα στην εξέταση του φαινομένου από τη σκοπιά των γονέων. Ειδικότερα, η εργασία μας εστιάζει και αναλύει: α) τις μορφές παραβατικότητας που παρουσιάζουν τα μικρά παιδιά εντός και εκτός της σχολικής μονάδας, β) τα αίτια της αύξησης των κρουσμάτων της παραβατικότητας και ειδικότερα του σχολικού εκφοβισμού, καθώς και γ) τη στάση των γονέων ως προς την πρόληψη και την αντιμετώπιση των προβλημάτων αυτών. 
Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες στα Μαθηματικά, αναγκαία η δημιουργία λεξιλογίου εννοιών
Authors: Νικολόπουλος Γιάννης
Published: October 2016

   Στην ανακοίνωσή μας εξετάζουμε την συμμετοχή/διαμεσολάβηση της γλώσσας στα Μαθηματικά Ελλείμματα. Μας απασχολεί δηλαδή, που και πόσο η Δυσλεξία είναι  παράμετρος, της Μαθησιακής Διαταραχής στα Μαθηματικά.

   Τα Ελλείμματα των Μαθηματικών έχουν βάση την Δυσαριθμησία αλλά και ο ρόλος της Δυσλεξίας, ειδικά μάλιστα όσο ανεβαίνουμε στην ακαδημαϊκή κλίμακα που τα προβλήματα της πρακτικής αριθμητικής αλλά και οι εκφράσεις πλεονάζουν σε σχέση με τις απλές πράξεις του δημοτικού, ο ρόλος της Δυσλεξίας δυναμώνει. Έχει φτάσει μάλιστα η επιστημονική αρθρογραφία να αναφέρει σαφέστατα: «Δυσλεξία και Δυσαριθμησία στα Μαθηματικά» (Ashcraft and Faust, 1994).

   Τα λεκτικά προβλήματα, δηλαδή τα προβλήματα με εκφωνήσεις και διατυπώσεις και όχι οι καθαρά μαθηματικές πράξεις αποτελούν την καρδιά των επιστημονικών αντικειμένων. Είναι κατανοητό ότι η ικανότητα της ανάγνωσης είναι σημαντική στην αποκωδικοποίηση της εκφώνησης ενός μαθηματικού προβλήματος, έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουν τα παιδιά να κατανοήσουν τα δεδομένα και τα ζητούμενα. Κατόπιν και αφού στηριχθούν στις μαθηματικές τους γνώσεις, θα χρησιμοποιήσουν τα δεδομένα για να προχωρήσουν στη λύση, δηλαδή να οδηγηθούν στα ζητούμενα. Τότε οφείλουν να διατυπώσουν την μαθηματική απάντηση. Άρα από άποψη γλώσσας, έχουμε αρχικά ανάγνωση και αποκωδικοποίηση της εκφώνησης και στη συνέχεια διατύπωση λύσης.

   Αναγκαιότητα η δημιουργία λεξιλογίου/εννοιολογίου στα Μαθηματικά, όπου θα συνδέονται και ταυτόχρονα θα διαχωρίζονται οι εκφράσεις που αντιστοιχούν σε συγκεκριμένες μαθηματικές έννοιες. 
Χαρακτηριστικά, Διαγνωστικές και Εκπαιδευτικές προσεγγίσεις στις Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες
Authors: Νικολακάκη Ιωάννα
Published: October 2016

Ερευνώντας τα θέματα Ειδικής Αγωγής και εστιάζοντας στις Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες, διαπιστώνουμε την αυξανόμενη εμφάνισή τους στα μικρά παιδιά. Με τον όρο Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες εννοούμε μια ανομοιογενή ομάδα προβλημάτων με δυσκολίες στην ομιλία ,γραφή, ανάγνωση, ακρόαση και στις μαθηματικές ικανότητες. Τα προβλήματα αυτά είναι εγγενή στο άτομο, οργανικής αιτιολογίας, διαχρονικά και ίσως συνυπάρχουν με άλλη διαταραχή.

Στόχος της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η διερεύνηση της έννοιας των μαθησιακών δυσκολιών, της δυνατότητας εντοπισμού τους σε παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας αλλά και των ευκαιριών που υπάρχουν για έγκαιρη παρέμβαση ώστε να μειωθούν οι πιθανότητες εμφάνισης συναισθηματικών και κοινωνικών δυσκολιών μέσω ψυχοπαιδαγωγικών προσεγγίσεων.

Οι μαθησιακές δυσκολίες, παρόλο που συγκροτούν ανομοιογενείς ομάδες παιδιών, έχουν ορισμένα χαρακτηριστικά που προσδίδουν σε αυτές τις ομάδες κοινά στοιχεία: φυσιολογική νοημοσύνη, επαρκείς αισθητηριακές ικανότητες, δυσαναλογία επίδοσης και ηλικίας, νοητικού επιπέδου και εκπαιδευτικής εμπειρίας ,φωνολογική ανεπάρκεια και ακανόνιστο σχέδιο συμπεριφοράς. Η δυσλεξία συγκεκριμένα αναφέρεται ως «κρυμμένη ανεπάρκεια» . Άλλα χαρακτηριστικά είναι οι αντιληπτικές δυσλειτουργίες, οι πτωχές μεταγνωστικές στρατηγικές, δυσκολίες στα μαθηματικά όπως η δυσαριθμησία και προβλήματα μνήμης, προσοχής και λόγου. Η αιτιολογία αποτελεί σημείο σύγχυσης λόγω πολλών πιθανών αιτιών της διαταραχής όπως οι εγκεφαλικές βλάβες, οι γενετικοί –κληρονομικοί και περιβαλλοντικοί παράγοντες.

Σχετικά με τη διάγνωση, η ανταπόκριση στη διδασκαλία φαίνεται να υλοποιείται περισσότερο καθώς το κριτήριο απροσδόκητης αποτυχίας του παιδιού έγκειται στη μη ανταπόκριση σε κατάλληλη διδασκαλία και όχι στην απόκλιση Δείκτη Νοημοσύνης –επίδοσης. Ένα παρεμβατικό πρόγραμμα περιλαμβάνει εντατικές εξατομικευμένες τεχνικές από τον εκπαιδευτικό στην τάξη ,διαφοροποίηση του σχολικού προγράμματος ,άμεση διδασκαλία. Ολοκληρώνοντας, κατανοούμε ότι κάθε παιδί με Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες έχει το δικό του ρυθμό, με ανάγκες κοινές και ταυτόχρονα διαφορετικές με τα άλλα παιδιά .
New year's resolutions: understanding conduct and ethics for students
Authors: Peate Ian
Published: October 2016

As the new academic year gets underway, Ian Peate considers the importance of conduct and ethics for students.
An overview of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Authors: Renshaw John
Published: October 2016

The World Health Organization recognises HIV as a global health problem. Within the UK there are over 100,000 people living with HIV; 6,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and there is an unrelenting rate of transmission between men who have sex with men (MSM). Paramedics are increasingly likely to encounter patients living with HIV, and it is necessary for them to be familiar with HIV, HIV treatment and the tailored high-impact prevention strategies used to reduce the rate of HIV transmission. Paramedics can also attempt to reduce the spread of HIV by encouraging HIV testing, post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, and routine use of condoms during sexual intercourse. This article aims to provide an overview of HIV within the UK population.
Preserving the ‘passion’ in compassionate nursing care
Authors: Kerrigan Lynne
Published: October 2016

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (2011) report Care and Compassion? criticised the standards of care for many National Health Service (NHS) patients, especially the elderly, by stating the NHS was failing to respond to the needs of patients with care and compassion. Two years previously, the Healthcare Commission reached similar conclusions, stating trusts needed to resolve shortcomings in nursing care — specifically compassion, empathy and communication ( Healthcare Commission, 2009 ). For most veterinary professionals compassion, empathy and respect are core values and viewed as integral to their role. This article will look at compassionate care within the context of veterinary nursing — what it is, what prevents it and what enables staff, day in and day out, to be compassionate towards every patient committed to their care and their owner.
Tick-borne diseases in dogs
Authors: Elsheikha Hany
Published: October 2016

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) can have serious impact on the health and welfare of dogs, and have been described in all continents. The expanding number of tick-borne pathogens, the broad geographic range of many tick species, the ability of tick-borne pathogens to induce infections, and the highly zoonotic potential of some of these pathogens make TBDs the most important subcategory of canine vector-borne infectious diseases worldwide. Indeed, emerging TBDs have become a concern for pet owners and veterinary professionals. The occurrence of babesiosis in a cluster of dogs from Harlow, Essex in 2016 has raised some concerns regarding the inevitable increase in the risk of TBDs particularly after the relaxation of pet travel rules. In addition to babesiosis that has dominated recent headlines other TBDs such as Lyme borreliosis have more quietly expanded to many parts of the country. The large number of tick-borne pathogens, the diversity of tick vectors, the broad range of animal reservoir hosts, limitations associated with diagnosis and treatment, and the ecological complexity of tick-borne pathogens make effective control of TBDs a challenging task. Therefore, it is important for veterinary professionals to be able to detect TBDs early and accurately in order to minimise the morbidity and mortality of these diseases. This article provides an update on some of the most common TBDs in dogs, namely babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, borreliosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. The key roles that veterinary nurses can play to support pet owners in recognising and dealing with ticks and TBDs are also discussed.
The importance of good nutrition in growing puppies and kittens
Authors: Hemmings Clare
Published: October 2016

While balanced nutrition is important for the whole of a dog or cat's life, of particular interest is the growth phase, which is the most complex and delicate stage of a dog or cat's life, during which a multitude of macroand micro-nutrients are required at specific levels to ensure ideal growth and development of skeleton, joints and other body systems. This article explores these nutrients and the impact each has on the growing puppy or kitten, examines the complexity of balancing a diet for growth — particularly for large breed dogs — and considers the potential consequences of feeding an unbalanced diet during this key phase.
How to manage a difficult airway
Authors: Clancy Niamh , Hoy Carol
Published: October 2016

Veterinary patients may have problematic airways as a result of anatomy or disease, and with brachycephalic breeds becoming increasingly popular pets in the UK, the registered veterinary nurse (RVN) must be confident when dealing with a difficult intubation. This article will discuss some ways to prepare for these challenging patients, which will increase the chances of a successful anaesthetic.
An in vitro investigation into the efficacies of chlorhexidine gluconate, povidone iodine and green tea (Camellia sinensis) to prevent surgical site infection in animals
Authors: Williams Jane , Lane S , Harniman S
Published: October 2016

Background:

Surgical site infections are common in veterinary practice; their prevention is based on the preoperative use of topical antimicrobials at the surgical site to reduce resident bacteria to sub-pathogenic levels.

Aim

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and povidone iodine (PI) are the most popular options for preoperative skin preparation in veterinary practice, however increasing bacterial resistance to CHG and PI have been reported; therefore investigation into alternative antimicrobials such as Camellia sinensis (green tea: GT) is required.

Method

The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activity of four dilutions of CHG, PI and GT on the normal flora of animal skin, represented by S. aureus, S. intermedius, S. uberis and S. pyogenes. Zones of inhibition (ZOI) were measured to assess antimicrobial action. Kruskal-Wallis analyses with Mann-Whitney post-hoc tests determined differences in efficacy between the dilutions of antimicrobials for each bacterium tested.

Results

All antimicrobials inhibited bacterial growth, CHG was more efficacious than PI and GT (p<0.0001; mean CHG: 24.02± 2.05 mm; mean PI: 4.46±1.35 mm; mean GT: 2.90mm±2.60mm). Although GT produced smaller ZOIs than PI, no significant differences in efficacy existed (p>0.05).

Conclusion

The results suggest that CHG is the best antimicrobial for preoperative skin preparation. GT did produce an antibacterial effect on three of the four bacteria, although this was inferior to the existing veterinary products used. Therefore GT in the formulation tested is not recommended for use as a veterinary antimicrobial.
Sound sensitivity and phobia: the 5th of November is only the start of the problem
Authors: Hargrave Claire
Published: October 2016

Sound sensitivity and the development of sound-related fears and phobias is more common than pet owners realise, with PDSA surveys suggesting that 73% of the pet population could be affected.
Theatre for peace in East Africa: The quest for ‘cosmic equilibrium’
Authors: Joseph Christopher Odhiambo
Published: October 2016

Theatre for peace as a practice has been used in post-war and other situations of violence in East Africa. However, it has not received as much scholarly attention as other applied theatre forms that target health issues such as HIV and AIDS, malaria, civic education and human rights and ‘development’. An international theatre for peace workshop that took place in Kisumu in 2011, organized by Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklungshilfe (AGEH) from Germany, spurred me to begin thinking seriously about the manifestation(s) of theatre for peace in East Africa. This article is part of that thinking, and sets out to map out some activities in the region.
Thinking through the puppet, inside and outside immigration detention
Authors: Smith Matt
Published: October 2016

This article addresses the issues involved in the practice of applied puppetry in relation to immigration detention. Its reflections and assertions are situated within recent debates about the practice of the puppeteer with groups in workshops. This scholarly praxis has evolved from ideas drawn from the practice of a research project conducted in an immigration removal centre in the United Kingdom. The article explores making puppets and performing puppet shows in this traumatic detention environment, and reflects on the knowledge gained through subsequent lecture performances. The author has used puppetry previously in a number of unusual settings to engage groups, and these inform the discussion here. The article explores personal accounts of practice, experiences of workshops and questions about power and ethics.

The global organization supporting puppetry, Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA), has been reflecting on the use of puppetry in education and continues to be a vital source in the development of these debates. For example, the publication The Power of the Puppet is a good introduction to the issues around using puppets with groups.
The library palace
Authors: Stewart Claire
Published: October 2016

A memory from the imagined future, where the price of reading is, in turn, being read. Where literature is changed by unseen forces to meet your neurological needs, and where readers give away much more information about themselves than they ever realize.
Robot
Authors: Aylett Ruth
Published: October 2016

A robot supply company delivers its new intelligent social robot for a test weekend in a young man’s flat. This does not turn out the way they hoped it would.