Learning to Teach Without Teaching: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Preservice Teachers’ Efficacy Beliefs and Perceptions of an Evidence-based Creative Arts Subject

Recognition of the inherent value of the Creative Arts in society seldom extends beyond rhetoric to meaningful action. The powerful ways the Creative Arts are positioned within curriculum documents, for example, stand in contrast to entrenched problems such as poor teacher attitudes, disengaging teaching practices and low status. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs and preservice teachers are essential to the long-term improvement of Creative Arts education. Creative Arts in ITE is also an interesting context in which to examine the divide between Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) that has influenced both educational research and policy. This paper reports on a mixed methods case study of 24 preservice teachers’ Creative Arts teaching efficacy beliefs and perceptions as they completed an evidence-based, discipline-focussed creative arts subject. The Likert scale efficacy data, collected via the CATEBI-B, modified from the established STEBI-B (Enochs & Riggs, 1990), were analysed via MANOVA with repeated measures and T-tests. These analyses were complemented by thematic analysis of qualitative survey data. Results showed statistically significant increases in participants\u27 personal Creative Arts teaching efficacy upon completion of the subject. The significance of Creative Arts teaching outcome expectancy increases was questionable and the qualitative results were somewhat mixed despite being mostly positive. Implications of these findings and directions for further research in this space are discussed

The influence of the strength of bone on the deformation of acetabular shells : a laboratory experiment in cadavers

Date of Acceptance: 24/08/2014 ©2015 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery. The authors would like to thank N. Taylor (3D Measurement Company) for his work with regard to data acquisition and processing of experimental data. We would also like to thank Dr A. Blain of Newcastle University for performing the statistical analysis The research was supported by the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. The authors P. Dold, M. Flohr and R. Preuss are employed by Ceramtec GmbH. Martin Bone received a salary from the joint fund. The author or one or more of the authors have received or will receive benefits for personal or professional use from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article. This article was primary edited by G. Scott and first proof edited by J. Scott.Peer reviewedPostprin

Conventional versus highly cross-linked polyethylene in primary total knee replacement : a comparison of revision rates using data from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

There is evidence to support the use of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. However, the benefits for those undergoing total knee arthroplasty are uncertain, with conflicting reports based on previous cohort analyses. The purpose of the present study was to compare the revision rates following primary total knee arthroplasty with use of HXLPE as compared with conventional polyethylene (CPE) using data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We performed a retrospective analysis of primary total knee arthroplasties recorded in the NJR from 2003 to 2014. Cobalt-chromium (CoCr)-CPE and CoCr-HXLPE bearing surfaces were compared using all-cause revision, aseptic revision, and septic revision as end points. Survival analyses were conducted using rates per 100 years observed, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, and Cox regression hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, body mass index (BMI), lead surgeon grade, and implant constraint. Secondary analyses compared the most commonly used HXLPEs (Zimmer Prolong, DePuy XLK, and Stryker X3) against CPE for the 3 most common total knee arthroplasty systems (NexGen, PFC Sigma, and Triathlon). In the present study of 550,658 total knee arthroplasties, the unadjusted aseptic revision rates were significantly lower following procedures performed with CPE (n = 513,744) as compared with those performed with HXLPE total knee replacements (n = 36,914) (0.29 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28 to 0.30] compared to 0.38 [95% CI, 0.35 to 0.42], p 35 kg/m, the "second-generation" Stryker X3 HXLPE demonstrated significantly better survival than its respective CPE, with CPE having an HR of 2.6 (95% CI, 1.2 to 5.9) (p = 0.02). Alternative bearings are marketed as having improved wear properties over traditional CoCr-CPE. This registry-based analysis demonstrated no overall survival benefit of HXLPE after a maximum duration of follow-up of 12 years. Because of their increased cost, the routine use of HXLPE bearings may not be justified. However, they may have a role in specific "higher demand" groups such as patients 35 kg/m. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete list of levels of evidence

\u3ci\u3eAuricularia auricula\u3c/i\u3e polysaccharides attenuate obesity in mice through gut commensal \u3ci\u3ePapillibacter cinnamivorans\u3c/i\u3e

Introduction: Auricularia auricula is a well-known traditional edible and medical fungus with high nutritional and pharmacological values, as well as metabolic and immunoregulatory properties. Nondigestible fermentable polysaccharides are identified as primary bioactive constituents of Auricularia auricula extracts. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAP) on obesity and related metabolic endpoints, including the role of the gut microbiota, remain insufficiently understood. Methods: The effects of AAP on obesity were assessed within high-fat diet (HFD)-based mice through obesity trait analysis and metabolomic profiling. To determine the mechanistic role of the gut microbiota in observed anti-obesogenic effects AAP, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and pseudo-germ-free mice model treated with antibiotics were also applied, together with 16S rRNA genomic-derived taxonomic profiling. Results:High-fat diet (HFD) murine exposure to AAP thwarted weight gains, reduced fat depositing and enhanced glucose tolerance, together with upregulating thermogenesis proteomic biomarkers within adipose tissue. Serum metabolome indicated these effects were associated with changes in fatty acid metabolism. Intestine-dwelling microbial population assessments discovered that AAP selectively enhanced Papillibacter cinnamivorans, a commensal bacterium with reduced presence in HFD mice. Notably, HFD mice treated with oral formulations of P. cinnamivorans attenuated obesity, which was linked to decreased intestinal lipid transportation and hepatic thermogenesis. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that P. cinnamivorans regulated intestinal lipids metabolism and liver thermogenesis by reducing the proinflammatory response and gut permeability in a JAK-STAT signaling-related manner. Conclusion: Datasets from the present study show that AAP thwarted dietary-driven obesity and metabolism-based disorders by regulating intestinal lipid transportation, a mechanism that is dependent on the gut commensal P. cinnamivorans. These results indicated AAP and P. cinnamivorans as newly identified pre- and probiotics that could serve as novel therapeutics against obesity

D1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens-shell, but not the core, are involved in mediating ethanol-seeking behavior of alcohol-preferring (P) rats

Clinical and preclinical research suggest that activation of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is involved in mediating the rewarding actions of drugs of abuse, as well as promoting drug-seeking behavior. Inhibition of DA D1 receptors in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) can reduce ethanol (EtOH)-seeking behavior of non-selective rats triggered by environmental context. However, to date, there has been no research on the effects of D1 receptor agents on EtOH- seeking behavior of high alcohol-preferring (P) rats following prolonged abstinence. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of microinjecting the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 or the D1 agonist A-77636 into the Acb shell or Acb core on spontaneous recovery of EtOH-seeking behavior. After 10 weeks of concurrent access to EtOH and water, P rats underwent seven extinction sessions (EtOH and water withheld), followed by 2 weeks in their home cages without access to EtOH or operant sessions. In the 2nd week of the home cage phase, rats were bilaterally implanted with guide cannula aimed at the Acb shell or Acb core; rats were allowed 7d ays to recover before EtOH-seeking was assessed by the Pavlovian Spontaneous Recovery (PSR) model. Administration of SCH23390 (1μg/side) into the Acb shell inhibited responding on the EtOH lever, whereas administration of A-77636 (0.125μg/side) increased responding on the EtOH lever. Microinfusion of D1 receptor agents into the Acb core did not alter responding on the EtOH lever. Responses on the water lever were not altered by any of the treatments. The results suggest that activation of D1 receptors within the Acb shell, but not Acb core, are involved in mediating PSR of EtOH-seeking behavior of P rats

Resistant potato starch supplementation reduces serum histamine levels in healthy adults with links to attenuated intestinal permeability

Histamine from our diet or gut microbes can trigger gastrointestinal disturbances, and resistant potato starch (RPS) has previously been shown to alleviate these symptoms while increasing levels of health-associated bacteria such as Akkermansia through unknown mechanisms. Post hoc exploratory metabolomic analysis of serum amino acid, amine, and carnitine metabolites in participants consuming 3.5 g/day RPS or placebo (n = 48) was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine whether RPS positively influences histamine metabolism and related parameters. Histamine levels were significantly reduced by RPS treatment, but histamine-degrading enzyme products were unaffected by RPS. RPS also reduced histamine-secreting Haemophilus and Lactobacillus. Further, metabolites associated with intestinal permeability, including 5-hydroxylysine, acetylspermidine, and short- and medium-chain carnitines ratios, were significantly reduced by RPS treatment, suggesting decreased serum histamine might be related to enhanced gut barrier function. These metabolomic findings expand the value of supplementing the diet with RPS

Adaptation to tolerate high doses of arabinoxylan is associated with fecal levels of \u3ci\u3eBifidobacterium longum\u3c/i\u3e

Dietary fiber supplements are a strategy to close the ‘fiber gap’ and induce targeted modulations of the gut microbiota. However, higher doses of fiber supplements cause gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that differ among individuals. What determines these inter-individual differences is insufficiently understood. Here we analyzed findings from a six-week randomized controlled trial that evaluated GI symptoms to corn bran arabinoxylan (AX; n = 15) relative to non-fermentable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC; n = 16) at efficacious supplement doses of 25 g/day (females) or 35 g/day (males) in adults with excess weight. Self-reported flatulence, bloating, and stomach aches were evaluated weekly. Bacterial taxa involved in AX fermentation were identified by bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging. Associations between GI symptoms, fecal microbiota features, and diet history were systematically investigated. AX supplementation increased symptoms during the first three weeks relative to MCC (p \u3c 0.05, Mann-Whitney tests), but subjects ‘adapted’ with symptoms reverting to baseline levels toward the end of treatment. Symptom adaptations were individualized and correlated with the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium longum at baseline (rs = 0.74, p = 0.002), within the bacterial community that utilized AX (rs = 0.69, p = 0.006), and AX-induced shifts in acetate (rs = 0.54, p = 0.039). Lower baseline consumption of animal-based foods and higher whole grains associated with less severity and better adaptation. These findings suggest that humans do ‘adapt’ to tolerate efficacious fiber doses, and this process is linked to their microbiome and dietary factors known to interact with gut microbes, providing a basis for the development of strategies for improved tolerance of dietary fibers

Universal heteroplasmy of human mitochondrial DNA.

Mammalian cells contain thousands of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). At birth, these are thought to be identical in most humans. Here, we use long read length ultra-deep resequencing-by-synthesis to interrogate regions of the mtDNA genome from related and unrelated individuals at unprecedented resolution. We show that very low-level heteroplasmic variance is present in all tested healthy individuals, and is likely to be due to both inherited and somatic single base substitutions. Using this approach, we demonstrate an increase in mtDNA mutations in the skeletal muscle of patients with a proofreading-deficient mtDNA polymerase γ due to POLG mutations. In contrast, we show that OPA1 mutations, which indirectly affect mtDNA maintenance, do not increase point mutation load. The demonstration of universal mtDNA heteroplasmy has fundamental implications for our understanding of mtDNA inheritance and evolution. Ostensibly de novo somatic mtDNA mutations, seen in mtDNA maintenance disorders and neurodegenerative disease and aging, will partly be due to the clonal expansion of low-level inherited variants

Cross-species gene expression analysis of species specific differences in the preclinical assessment of pharmaceutical compounds

Animals are frequently used as model systems for determination of safety and efficacy in pharmaceutical research and development. However, significant quantitative and qualitative differences exist between humans and the animal models used in research. This is as a result of genetic variation between human and the laboratory animal. Therefore the development of a system that would allow the assessment of all molecular differences between species after drug exposure would have a significant impact on drug evaluation for toxicity and efficacy. Here we describe a cross-species microarray methodology that identifies and selects orthologous probes after cross-species sequence comparison to develop an orthologous cross-species gene expression analysis tool. The assumptions made by the use of this orthologous gene expression strategy for cross-species extrapolation is that; conserved changes in gene expression equate to conserved pharmacodynamic endpoints. This assumption is supported by the fact that evolution and selection have maintained the structure and function of many biochemical pathways over time, resulting in the conservation of many important processes. We demonstrate this cross-species methodology by investigating species specific differences of the peroxisome proliferatoractivator receptor (PPAR) a response in rat and human