Learning from sustainable development: education in the light of public issues

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is increasingly affecting environmental education policy and practice. In this article we show how sustainable development is mainly seen as a problem that can be tackled by applying the proper learning processes and how this perspective translates sustainability issues into learning problems of individuals. We present a different perspective on education in the context of sustainable development based on novel ways of thinking about citizenship education and emphasizing the importance of presenting issues of sustainable development as ‘public issues’, as matters of public concern. From this point of view, the focus is no longer on the competences that citizens must achieve, but on the democratic nature of the spaces and practices in which participation and citizenship can develop

Correlations of gene expression with ratings of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in tourette syndrome:a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity are the primary behaviors associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous studies showed that peripheral blood gene expression signatures can mirror central nervous system disease. Tourette syndrome (TS) is associated with inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) symptoms over 50% of the time. This study determined if gene expression in blood correlated significantly with IA and/or HI rating scale scores in participants with TS. METHODS: RNA was isolated from the blood of 21 participants with TS, and gene expression measured on Affymetrix human U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. To identify the genes that correlated with Conners’ Parents Ratings of IA and HI ratings of symptoms, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed, controlling for age, gender and batch. RESULTS: There were 1201 gene probesets that correlated with IA scales, 1625 that correlated with HI scales, and 262 that correlated with both IA and HI scale scores (P<0.05, |Partial correlation (r(p))|>0.4). Immune, catecholamine and other neurotransmitter pathways were associated with IA and HI behaviors. A number of the identified genes (n=27) have previously been reported in ADHD genetic studies. Many more genes correlated with either IA or HI scales alone compared to those that correlated with both IA and HI scales. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the concept that the pathophysiology of ADHD and/or its subtypes in TS may involve the interaction of multiple genes. These preliminary data also suggest gene expression may be useful for studying IA and HI symptoms that relate to ADHD in TS and perhaps non-TS participants. These results will need to be confirmed in future studies

Molecular markers and mechanisms of stroke: RNA studies of blood in animals and humans

Whole genome expression microarrays can be used to study gene expression in blood, which comes in part from leukocytes, immature platelets, and red blood cells. Since these cells are important in the pathogenesis of stroke, RNA provides an index of these cellular responses to stroke. Our studies in rats have shown specific gene expression changes 24 hours after ischemic stroke, hemorrhage, status epilepticus, hypoxia, hypoglycemia, global ischemia, and following brief focal ischemia that simulated transient ischemic attacks in humans. Human studies show gene expression changes following ischemic stroke. These gene profiles predict a second cohort with >90% sensitivity and specificity. Gene profiles for ischemic stroke caused by large-vessel atherosclerosis and cardioembolism have been described that predict a second cohort with >85% sensitivity and specificity. Atherosclerotic genes were associated with clotting, platelets, and monocytes, and cardioembolic genes were associated with inflammation, infection, and neutrophils. These gene profiles predicted the cause of stroke in 58% of cryptogenic patients. These studies will provide diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic markers, and will advance our understanding of stroke in humans. New techniques to measure all coding and noncoding RNAs along with alternatively spliced transcripts will markedly advance molecular studies of human stroke

Information Needs of Hong Kong Chinese Patients Undergoing Surgery

BACKGROUND: The provision of information to patients is an important aspect of contemporary health care. Limitations in health resources necessitates that the provision of information is carefully planned and culturally specific to maximize the benefits to patients from the resources available. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The purposes of the study were to recognize Chinese surgical patients' information needs on admission and ascertain why the information is important to assist in understanding how it is used and, therefore, its potential impact. METHODS: A descriptive study design was used. A convenience sample of 83 surgical patients took part comprising 51 men and 32 women. An eight-item questionnaire based on the right of patients to information as listed in the Patients' Charter in Hong Kong using a 5-point Likert scale and one open-ended question to comment on why the information was important to them was completed by patients on the day of admission. RESULTS: Patients rated highly the need for all types of information. They rated most highly the need for information about the signs and symptoms indicating postoperative complications and when to seek medical help. Patients did not rate as highly, information regarding why the doctor believes the surgery is important, treatment alternatives and explanation of the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that Chinese patients are desirous of a range of relevant information. RELEVANCE TO PRACTICE: Nursing staff, in particular, need to consider the 'timeliness' of information and the cultural appropriateness of how information is delivered

Correlation of adrenomedullin gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes with severity of ischemic stroke

Human adrenomedullin (ADM), a 52-amino acid peptide, belongs to the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)/amylin peptide family. ADM acts as a multifunctional regulatory peptide and is upregulated in response to hypoxia. Previous microarray studies have found increased ADM gene (ADM) expression in peripheral blood cells of patients with stroke, however, it is unknown if an increased ADM level is correlated with severity of human ischemic stroke. This study investigated ADM expression in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of healthy controls and subjects at day 1, week 1 and week 3 postacute ischemic stroke using rtPCR methodology. We found that ADM expression was significantly upregulated on the first day of stroke compared to the healthy subjects and the disease controls; the levels remained elevated for up to week 3. Further, ADM expression at day 1 was correlated with stroke severity measured by the National Institute of Healthy Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the modified Barthel Index (mBI) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). This could indicate that ADM expression level is related to the severity of tissue damage. We suggest that increased ADM expression in PBL after acute ischemic stroke is most likely to indicate that these cells have been subjected to hypoxia and that the magnitude of expression is likely to be related to the volume of hypoxic tissue. Hypoxia can affect lymphocytes function and could affect the immune response to stroke. The correlation of ADM expression level with the measures of stroke severity implicates ADM - a potential blood bio-marker in studies of ischemic stroke

Correlations of Gene Expression with Blood Lead Levels in Children with Autism Compared to Typically Developing Controls

The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between gene expression and lead (Pb) levels in blood in children with autism (AU, n = 37) compared to typically developing controls (TD, n = 15). We postulated that, though lead levels did not differ between the groups, AU children might metabolize lead differently compared to TD children. RNA was isolated from blood and processed on Affymetrix microarrays. Separate analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) corrected for age and gender were performed for TD, AU, and all subjects (AU + TD). To reduce false positives, only genes that overlapped these three ANCOVAs were considered. Thus, 48 probe sets correlated with lead levels in both AU and TD subjects and were significantly different between the groups (p(Diagnosis × log2 Pb) < 0.05). These genes were related mainly to immune and inflammatory processes, including MHC Class II family members and CD74. A large number (n = 791) of probe sets correlated (P ≤ 0.05) with lead levels in TD but not in AU subjects; and many probe sets (n = 162) correlated (P ≤ 0.05) with lead levels in AU but not in TD subjects. Only 30 probe sets correlated (P ≤ 0.05) with lead levels in a similar manner in the AU and TD groups. These data show that AU and TD children display different associations between transcript levels and low levels of lead. We postulate that this may relate to the underlying genetic differences between the two groups, though other explanations cannot be excluded