Connecting does not necessarily mean learning: Course handbooks as mediating tools in school-university partnerships

This is the author's accepted manuscript (titled "Course handbooks as mediating tools in learning to teach"). The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2011 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.Partnerships between schools and universities in England use course handbooks to guide student teacher learning during long field experiences. Using data from a yearlong ethnographic study of a postgraduate certificate of education programme in one English university, the function of course handbooks in mediating learning in two high school subject departments (history and modern foreign languages) is analyzed. Informed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, the analysis focuses on the handbooks as mediating tools in the school-based teacher education activity systems. Qualitative differences in the mediating functions of the handbooks-in-use are examined and this leads to a consideration of the potential of such tools for teacher learning in school–university partnerships. Following Zeichner’s call for rethinking the relationships between schools and universities, the article argues that strong structural connections between different institutional sites do not necessarily enhance student teacher learning

Employing culturally responsive pedagogy to foster literacy learning in schools

 In recent years it has become increasingly obvious that, to enable students in schools from an increasingly diverse range of cultural backgrounds to acquire literacy to a standard that will support them to achieve academically, it is important to adopt pedagogy that is responsive to, and respectful of, them as culturally situated. What largely has been omitted from the literature, however, is discussion of a relevant model of learning to underpin this approach. For this reason this paper adopts a socio-cultural lens (Vygotsky, 1978) through which to view such pedagogy and refers to a number of seminal texts to justify of its relevance. Use of this lens is seen as having a particular rationale. It forces a focus on the agency of the teacher as a mediator of learning who needs to acknowledge the learner’s cultural situatedness (Kozulin, 2003) if school literacy learning for all students is to be as successful as it might be. It also focuses attention on the predominant value systems and social practices that characterize the school settings in which students’ literacy learning is acquired. The paper discusses implications for policy and practice at whole-school, classroom and individual student levels of culturally-responsive pedagogy that is based on a socio-cultural model of learning. In doing so it draws on illustrations from the work of a number of researchers, including that of the author

Новая возможность применения бактериофагов для профилактики инфекционных осложнений при свободной кожной пластике (бактериофаги при кожной пластике)

 Aim. To prevent infectious processes in the area of a recipient wound in free skin grafting with a split-graft.Materials and methods. A method was developed for immobilizing bacteriophages in the area of split thickness skin grafts through transferring a solution containing bacteriophages into a gel form. Microbiological and clinical studies of the effectiveness of the proposed method were performed.Results. The viability of bacteriophages in a gel dressing for up to 4 days was confirmed, as well as the reduced likelihood of local infectious complications in skin grafting.Conclusion. The gel composition containing bacteriophages allows quick response to changes in current hospital microflora and effectively counteract the dangers of nosocomial infection.  Цель. Профилактика инфекционного процесса в области реципиентной раны при свободной кожной пластике расщепленным трансплантатом.Материалы и методы. Разработан способ иммобилизации бактериофагов в области аутодермотрансплантата путем перевода раствора, содержащего бактериофаги, в гелевую форму. Выполнены микробиологические и клинические исследования эффективности предложенного способа.Результаты. Подтверждена жизнеспособность бактериофагов в гелевой повязке в сроки до 4 сут и снижение вероятности развития местных инфекционных осложнений при кожной пластике.Заключение. Гелевая композиция, содержащая бактериофаги, позволяет оперативно реагировать на изменения актуальной  госпитальной микрофлоры и эффективно противодействовать  опасности нозокомиального инфицирования.

Magnetic and electronic phase transitions probed by nanomechanical resonators

The reduced dimensionality of two-dimensional (2D) materials results in characteristic types of magnetically and electronically ordered phases. However, only few methods are available to study this order, in particular in ultrathin insulating antiferromagnets that couple weakly to magnetic and electronic probes. Here, we demonstrate that phase transitions in thin membranes of 2D antiferromagnetic FePS3, MnPS3 and NiPS3 can be probed mechanically via the temperature-dependent resonance frequency and quality factor. The observed relation between mechanical motion and antiferromagnetic order is shown to be mediated by the specific heat and reveals a strong dependence of the Néel temperature of FePS3 on electrostatically induced strain. The methodology is not restricted to magnetic order, as we demonstrate by probing an electronic charge-density-wave phase in 2H-TaS2. It thus offers the potential to characterize phase transitions in a wide variety of materials, including those that are antiferromagnetic, insulating or so thin that conventional bulk characterization methods become unsuitable

Предоперационное прогнозирование и интраоперационная профилактика острой печеночной недостаточности после обширных резекций печени по поводу метастатического колоректального рака

Objective: improve the results of treatment of patients with metastatic cancer of liver by reducing the risk of post-resection liver failure based on the assessment of liver functional reserve.Materials and methods. The study included 2 independent samples of patients underwent surgery for liver metastases in the department of abdominal oncology at the P. A. Herzen Moscow Oncological Research Institute. Group 1 included 47 patients: in addition to the standard treatment algorithm they underwent 13C methacetin breath test and dynamic scintigraphy of liver in the preoperative stage. Patients from the group 2 (n = 30) underwent standard clinical and laboratory examination, without preoperative evaluation of liver functional reserves; the level of total bilirubin, albumin and prothrombin time showed no decrease in liver function. Post-resection liver failure was established based on 50/50 criterion when evaluated on the 5th postoperative day.Results. The analysis of operational characteristics of functional tests showed absolute sensitivity of 13C methacetin breath test (SE ≥ 100 %) and negative predictive value (–VP ≥ 100 %) in case of integrated application of 2 diagnostic methods. An incidence of post-resection acute liver failure in the study group was significantly 2.2-fold lower than in the control group – 10.6 % and 23.3 %, respectively (p < 0.001).Conclusion. Combination of preoperative dynamic scintigraphy of liver with 13C methacetin breath test allows to perform comprehensive assessment of liver functional reserves, and it can greatly improve preoperative assessment and postoperative results of anatomic resections in patients with liver metastases.Цель исследования – улучшение результатов лечения больных метастатическим раком печени за счет снижения риска развития пострезекционной печеночной недостаточности на основании оценки функциональных резервов печени.Материалы и методы. Исследование включало 2 независимые выборки пациентов, оперированных по поводу метастатического поражения печени в отделении абдоминальной онкологии МНИОИ им. П. А. Герцена. В 1-ю были включены 47 пациентов, которым помимо стандартного алгоритма обследования проводили 13C-метацетиновый дыхательный тест и динамическая сцинтиграфия печени на предоперационном этапе. Больным 2-й группы (n = 30) выполняли стандартные клиническое и лабораторное обследования, но не проводили предоперационной оценки функционального резерва печени; показатели общего билирубина, альбумина и протромбинового времени не выявили снижения функции печени. Пострезекционная печеночная недостаточность устанавливалась на основании критерия 50/50 при оценке на 5-й день после операции.Результаты. Анализ операционных характеристик функциональных тестов показал абсолютную чувствительность 13C-метацитинового дыхательного теста (SE ≥ 100 %) и прогностическую ценность отрицательного результата (–VP ≥ 100 %) при комплексном применении 2 диагностических методов. Частота возникновения пострезекционной острой печеночной недостаточности в исследуемой группе достоверно в 2,2 раза ниже, чем в контрольной, – 10,6 и 23,3 % соответственно (p < 0,001).Заключение. Сочетание предоперационной динамической сцинтиграфии печени с проведением 13С-метацетинового дыхательного теста позволяет провести комплексную оценку функционального резерва печени и может значительно улучшить предоперационную оценку и послеоперационные результаты анатомических резекций у больных с метастатическим поражением печени

Teachers and didacticians: key stakeholders in the processes of developing mathematics teaching

This paper sets the scene for a special issue of ZDM-The International Journal on Mathematics Education-by tracing key elements of the fields of teacher and didactician/teacher-educator learning related to the development of opportunities for learners of mathematics in classrooms. It starts from the perspective that joint activity of these two groups (teachers and didacticians), in creation of classroom mathematics, leads to learning for both. We trace development through key areas of research, looking at forms of knowledge of teachers and didacticians in mathematics; ways in which teachers or didacticians in mathematics develop their professional knowledge and skill; and the use of theoretical perspectives relating to studying these areas of development. Reflective practice emerges as a principal goal for effective development and is linked to teachers' and didacticians' engagement with inquiry and research. While neither reflection nor inquiry are developmental panaceas, we see collaborative critical inquiry between teachers and didacticians emerging as a significant force for teaching development. We include a summary of the papers of the special issue which offer a state of the art perspective on developmental practice. © 2014 FIZ Karlsruhe