Big Data and Technologies of Self

The entry of Big Data into the educational field has generated noticeable binary reactions and a recycling of criticisms already directed at the quantification of reality, datafication in the social sciences, standardization in education, and neoliberalism in the West. This paper reapproaches Big Data’s entry into education from a curriculum studies perspective, which deploys interdisciplinary approaches from philosophy, history, sociology and politics of knowledge and wisdom. The analysis of key definitional debates, binary reactions, and systematization are considered from the point of view of historically shifting technologies of self, as core conditions of possibility for the controversies that emerge when two fields intersect. Specifically, the alliance presumed between self and knowledge, and of both with reality, have long and provincial heritages that contemporary movements such as Big Data seem to reanimate and reconfigure. The paper concludes with consideration of whether Big Data can be understood as a gamechanger in the educational and curriculum fields and if so, on what basis

Analysis of the effect of in-class writing on the learning of function concepts in college algebra

This study examined the effects of in-class writing to learn mathematics on college students in a college algebra course. The students in the two experimental groups wrote explanatory responses to prompts regarding a topic discussed in class the previous day twice a week for eight weeks. The teacher read and responded to all writing assignments the next day. The two control groups spent the time discussing additional examples as a class. All other aspects of the course were held constant for the 209 students in the study;The first goal of the study was to investigate the effect of the in-class writing on mathematics achievement. The second goal was to investigate the effect of the in-class writing on the students\u27 attitude toward Mathematics; A third goal was to investigate whether the in-class writing treatment would be differentially effective for some students more than others based on previous mathematics achievement, length of time since the last math class, or self reported study habits;Findings of the study showed that the in-class writing treatment was differentially effective on the attitudes of low achievement students. The low achievement writing students had significantly more positive attitudes toward mathematics at the end of the study than the low achievement nonwriting students. Also there was a significant interaction for the treatment x time since the last mathematics class. The students in the writing group who had not taken a math class for 1.5 years or more had significantly better achievement scores than those in the control group who had not recently completed a math course. These two findings may have practical implications for making mathematics accessible to more students through the use of writing assignments. In general, the study did not find a significant effect for either attitude or achievement for the writing groups

The Official Information Act: Maori with Lived Experience of Disability, and New Zealand Disability Data: a case study

This article presents a case study of the use of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), for research commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2018 into disability-related issues for Mäori. The responses of Crown organisations to OIA requests examined in this research highlight both issues with inconsistent application of the OIA, and limited access to information held and made available by Crown agencies for Mäori with lived experience of disability.1 The statutory time frame for responses to OIA requests was rarely met. Organisations also resisted providing information, while crucial information for ensuring equity for Mäori with lived experience of disability was often not able to be released because it was not collected at all. The impact of these limitations is discussed, particularly pertaining to core government roles of performance monitoring and ensuring accountability. In addition to querying who benefits from, and is privileged by, the OIA and its application, questions are raised around the necessary components of a legislation rewrite in order to deliver on a modern approach to official information that ensures equitable, high-performing and truly democratic public administration

Placental dysfunction is associated with altered microRNA expression in pregnant women with low folate status

Scope: Low maternal folate status during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering small for gestational age (SGA) infants, but the mechanistic link between maternal folate status, SGA, and placental dysfunction is unknown. microRNAs (miRNAs) are altered in pregnancy pathologies and by folate in other systems. We hypothesized that low maternal folate status causes placental dysfunction, mediated by altered miRNA expression. Methods and results: A prospective observational study recruited pregnant adolescents and assessed third trimester folate status and placental function. miRNA array, QPCR, and bioinformatics identified placental miRNAs and target genes. Low maternal folate status is associated with higher incidence of SGA infants (28% versus 13%, p < 0.05) and placental dysfunction, including elevated trophoblast proliferation and apoptosis (p < 0.001), reduced amino acid transport (p < 0.01), and altered placental hormones (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, progesterone, and human placental lactogen). miR-222-3p, miR-141-3p, and miR-34b-5p were upregulated by low folate status (p < 0.05). Bioinformatics predicted a gene network regulating cell turnover. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that key genes in this network (zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2, v-myc myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (avian), and cyclin-dependent kinase 6) were reduced (p < 0.05) in placentas with low maternal folate status. Conclusion: This study supports that placental dysfunction contributes to impaired fetal growth in women with low folate status and suggests altered placental expression of folate-sensitive miRNAs and target genes as a mechanistic link

Subclinical infection of macaques and baboons with a baboon simarterivirus

Simarteriviruses (Arteriviridae: Simarterivirinae) are commonly found at high titers in the blood of African monkeys but do not cause overt disease in these hosts. In contrast, simarteriviruses cause severe disease in Asian macaques upon accidental or experimental transmission. Here, we sought to better understand the host-dependent drivers of simarterivirus pathogenesis by infecting olive baboons (n = 4) and rhesus monkeys (n = 4) with the simarterivirus Southwest baboon virus 1 (SWBV-1). Surprisingly, none of the animals in our study showed signs of disease following SWBV-1 inoculation. Three animals (two rhesus monkeys and one olive baboon) became infected and sustained high levels of SWBV-1 viremia for the duration of the study. The course of SWBV-1 infection was highly predictable: plasma viremia peaked between 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 vRNA copies/mL at 3–10 days post-inoculation, which was followed by a relative nadir and then establishment of a stable set-point between 1 × 106 and 1 × 107 vRNA copies/mL for the remainder of the study (56 days). We characterized cellular and antibody responses to SWBV-1 infection in these animals, demonstrating that macaques and baboons mount similar responses to SWBV-1 infection, yet these responses are ineffective at clearing SWBV-1 infection. SWBV-1 sequencing revealed the accumulation of non-synonymous mutations in a region of the genome that corresponds to an immunodominant epitope in the simarterivirus major envelope glycoprotein GP5, which likely contribute to viral persistence by enabling escape from host antibodies

Diagnostic accuracy of image guided biopsies in small (&lt;4cm) renal masses with implications for active surveillance:A systematic review of the evidence

The objective of this study was to determine the safety and diagnostic accuracy of renal tumour biopsies in a defined population of small renal masses (SRMs) only < 4cm using a 3 x 2 table intention-to-diagnose approach. The 3 x 2 table approach examines indeterminate results as a separate category, rather than pushing these through traditional a 2 x 2 table (four-cell matrix) approach. A highly sensitive search was performed in the Cochrane Library Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, MEDLINE and MEDLINE in Process, EMBASE and conference proceedings (1966 to 2016). The search sought the acquisition of data on the diagnostic accuracy and complications of RTB in patients with SRM < 4cm. Methodological quality and risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS-2. Test characteristics were calculated using a conventional 2 x 2 contingency table analysis excluding non-diagnostic biopsies, and an intention-to-diagnose approach with a 3 x 2 table for pooled estimates of the sensitivity and specificity. A total of twenty studies were included, with a total sample size of 974. The pooled estimates for sensitivity and specificity of RTB based upon univariate analysis using a 2 x 2 table observed sensitivity 0.952 (confidence interval (CI) 0.908-0.979) and specificity 0.824 (CI 0.566-0.962). Using the 3 x 2 table and intention-to-diagnose principle, sensitivity 0.947 (CI 0.925-0.965) and specificity 0.609 (CI 0.385-0.803) decreased. In conclusion, renal tumour biopsy in SRMs < 4cm is associated with a high diagnostic sensitivity, but poor specificity when non-diagnostic results are included by a 3 x 2 table for analysis (intention-to-diagnose approach). The risk of non-diagnostic results and poor quality of research need addressing through future studies, preferably by a well-designed prospective study, appropriately powered for diagnostic accuracy using valid reference standards

Interaction between Metformin, Folate and Vitamin B 12 and the Potential Impact on Fetal Growth and Long-Term Metabolic Health in Diabetic Pregnancies

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-05-25, pub-electronic 2021-05-28Publication status: PublishedFunder: Medical Research Council; Grant(s): MR/R023166/1, MR/T001828/1Funder: British Heart Foundation; Grant(s): FS/4yPhD/F/20/34130Metformin is the first-line treatment for many people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to maintain glycaemic control. Recent evidence suggests metformin can cross the placenta during pregnancy, thereby exposing the fetus to high concentrations of metformin and potentially restricting placental and fetal growth. Offspring exposed to metformin during gestation are at increased risk of being born small for gestational age (SGA) and show signs of ‘catch up’ growth and obesity during childhood which increases their risk of future cardiometabolic diseases. The mechanisms by which metformin impacts on the fetal growth and long-term health of the offspring remain to be established. Metformin is associated with maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and antifolate like activity. Vitamin B12 and folate balance is vital for one carbon metabolism, which is essential for DNA methylation and purine/pyrimidine synthesis of nucleic acids. Folate:vitamin B12 imbalance induced by metformin may lead to genomic instability and aberrant gene expression, thus promoting fetal programming. Mitochondrial aerobic respiration may also be affected, thereby inhibiting placental and fetal growth, and suppressing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity for cellular nutrient transport. Vitamin supplementation, before or during metformin treatment in pregnancy, could be a promising strategy to improve maternal vitamin B12 and folate levels and reduce the incidence of SGA births and childhood obesity. Heterogeneous diagnostic and screening criteria for GDM and the transient nature of nutrient biomarkers have led to inconsistencies in clinical study designs to investigate the effects of metformin on folate:vitamin B12 balance and child development. As rates of diabetes in pregnancy continue to escalate, more women are likely to be prescribed metformin; thus, it is of paramount importance to improve our understanding of metformin’s transgenerational effects to develop prophylactic strategies for the prevention of adverse fetal outcomes

Sexually dimorphic patterns in maternal circulating microRNAs in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2021-08-18, accepted 2021-10-27, registration 2021-11-01, pub-electronic 2021-11-17, online 2021-11-17, collection 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: tommy's baby charity; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000306Funder: medical research foundation; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009187; Grant(s): MR/R023166/1Abstract: Background: Current methods fail to accurately predict women at greatest risk of developing fetal growth restriction (FGR) or related adverse outcomes, including stillbirth. Sexual dimorphism in these adverse pregnancy outcomes is well documented as are sex-specific differences in gene and protein expression in the placenta. Circulating maternal serum microRNAs (miRNAs) offer potential as biomarkers that may also be informative of underlying pathology. We hypothesised that FGR would be associated with an altered miRNA profile and would differ depending on fetal sex. Methods: miRNA expression profiles were assessed in maternal serum (> 36 weeks’ gestation) from women delivering a severely FGR infant (defined as an individualised birthweight centile (IBC) < 3rd) and matched control participants (AGA; IBC = 20–80th), using miRNA arrays. qPCR was performed using specific miRNA primers in an expanded cohort of patients with IBC < 5th (n = 15 males, n = 16 females/group). Maternal serum human placental lactogen (hPL) was used as a proxy to determine if serum miRNAs were related to placental dysfunction. In silico analyses were performed to predict the potential functions of altered miRNAs. Results: Initial analyses revealed 11 miRNAs were altered in maternal serum from FGR pregnancies. In silico analyses revealed all 11 altered miRNAs were located in a network of genes that regulate placental function. Subsequent analysis demonstrated four miRNAs showed sexually dimorphic patterns. miR-28-5p was reduced in FGR pregnancies (p < 0.01) only when there was a female offspring and miR-301a-3p was only reduced in FGR pregnancies with a male fetus (p < 0.05). miR-454-3p was decreased in FGR pregnancies (p < 0.05) regardless of fetal sex but was only positively correlated to hPL when the fetus was female. Conversely, miR-29c-3p was correlated to maternal hPL only when the fetus was male. Target genes for sexually dimorphic miRNAs reveal potential functional roles in the placenta including angiogenesis, placental growth, nutrient transport and apoptosis. Conclusions: These studies have identified sexually dimorphic patterns for miRNAs in maternal serum in FGR. These miRNAs may have potential as non-invasive biomarkers for FGR and associated placental dysfunction. Further studies to determine if these miRNAs have potential functional roles in the placenta may provide greater understanding of the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and the differing susceptibility of male and female fetuses to adverse in utero conditions