Montessori's mediation of meaning: a social semiotic perspective

The distinctive objects designed by Dr Maria Montessori as the centrepiece of her approach to pedagogy are the topic of this study. The Montessori approach to pedagogy, celebrating its centenary in 2007, continues to be used in classrooms throughout the world. Despite such widespread and enduring use, there has been little analysis of the Montessori objects to evaluate or understand their pedagogic impact. This study begins by outlining the provenance of the Montessori objects, reaching the conclusion that the tendency to interpret them from the perspective of the progressive education movement of the early twentieth century fails to provide insights into the developmental potential embodied in the objects. In order to appreciate that potential more fully, the study explores the design of the objects, specifically, the way in which the semiotic qualities embodied in their design orient children to the meanings of educational knowledge. A meta-analytic framework comprising three components is used to analyse the semiotic potential of the Montessori objects as educational artefacts. First, Vygotsky’s model of development is used to analyse the objects as external mediational means and to recognise the objects as complexes of signs materialising educational knowledge. In order to understand how the objects capture, in the form of concrete analogues, the linguistic meanings which construe educational knowledge, systemic functional linguistics, the second component of the framework, is used to achieve a rich and detailed social semiotic analysis of these relations, in particular, material and linguistic representations of abstract educational meanings. Finally, the pedagogic device, a central feature of Bernstein’s sociology of pedagogy, is used to analyse how the Montessori objects re-contextualise educational knowledge as developmental pedagogy. Particular attention is paid to the Montessori literacy pedagogy, in which the study of grammar plays a central role. The study reveals a central design principle which distinguishes the Montessori objects. This principle is the redundant representation of educational knowledge across multiple semiotic modes. Each representation holds constant the underlying meaning relations which construe quanta of educational knowledge, giving children the freedom to engage with this knowledge playfully, independently and successfully. The conclusion drawn from this study is that the design of the Montessori objects represents valuable educational potential which deserves continued investigation, as well as wider recognition and application. To initiate this process, the findings in this study may provide insights which can be used to develop tools for evaluating and enhancing the implementation of Montessori pedagogy in Montessori schools. The findings may also be used to adapt Montessori design principles for the benefit of educators working in non-Montessori contexts, in particular, those educators concerned with developing pedagogies which promote equitable access to educational knowledge

Imidazole-induced contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells in the presence of U-73122, ODQ, indomethacin and 7-nitroindazole

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of modulating factors on vascular smooth muscle cells reactivity. Vascular resistance was induced by the administration of increasing concentrations of imidazole. The experiments were performed on isolated and perfused tail artery of Wistar rats (weight 250 g – 350 g). Rats were been narcotized by urethane (intraperitoneal injection) at a dose of 120 mg/kg, stunned and then sacrificed by cervical dislocation. In the following investigation classical pharmacometric methods were used. Relationships between concentration-response curves (CRCs) for imidazole observed in the presence of ODQ [(1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one)], 7-nitroindazole and indomethacin were analyzed. Imidazole-induced contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells was independent from alpha-adrenergic receptors and PLC activity. Reactivity of VSMCsinduced by imidazole, was significantly changed in the presence of ODQ and 7-nitroindazole

Något om normativa resonemang irättsdogmatisk forskning

Den som gör en normativ utsaga anger en norm/rekommendation som hananser bör följas. Rättsvetenskapliga författare är ofta sparsamma med attföra djuplodande normativa resonemang och det diskuteras endast sparsamthur normativa resonemang bör föras i rättsvetenskapliga framställningar.I uppsatsen diskuteras varför det är viktigt att normativa resonemangförs i rättsvetenskapen och något om hur de kan föras.Finansierat av Nordiska skattevetenskapliga forskningsrådet</p

Meta-Analysis of Impact of Different Types and Doses of Statins on New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus.

Recent reports indicate that statins are associated with an increased risk for new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) compared with placebo and that this relation is dose dependent. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of different types and doses of statins on new-onset DM. RCTs comparing different types and doses of statins with placebo were searched for using the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases. A search of RCTs pertinent to this meta-analysis covering the period from November 1994 to October 2012 was conducted by 2 independent investigators using the MEDLINE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Embase databases as well as abstracts and presentations from major cardiovascular meetings. Seventeen RCTs reporting the incidence of new-onset DM during statin treatment and including a total of 113,394 patients were identified. The RCTs compared either a statin versus placebo or high-dose versus moderate-dose statin therapy. Among different statins, pravastatin 40 mg/day was associated with the lowest risk for new-onset DM compared with placebo (odds ratio 1.07, 95% credible interval 0.86 to 1.30). Conversely, rosuvastatin 20 mg/day was numerically associated with 25% increased risk for DM compared with placebo (odds ratio 1.25, 95% credible interval 0.82 to 1.90). The impact on DM appeared to be intermediate with atorvastatin 80 mg/day compared with placebo (odds ratio 1.15, 95% credible interval 0.90 to 1.50). These findings were replicated at moderate doses. In conclusion, different types and doses of statins show different potential to increase the incidence of DM. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Am J Cardiol 2013;111:1123-1130

Impact of Aspirin Dosing on the Effects of P2Y12 Inhibition in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes

The discovery of the antiplatelet effect of low-dose aspirin led to the hugely successful strategy of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Increasing the dose of aspirin beyond 75-100 mg has never been shown to offer additional efficacy in ACS patients but could possibly increase the risk of bleeding. In the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcome (PLATO) study, higher doses of aspirin appeared to neutralise the additional benefit of the potent P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor compared to clopidogrel (Circulation 124: 544-554, 2011). However, higher doses of aspirin have not been shown to have an adverse interaction with the potent P2Y12 inhibition provided by prasugrel and double-dose clopidogrel (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2013, in press; N Engl J Med 363: 930-942, 2010). This potentially suggests that the mechanism for this interaction is not related to the inhibition of platelet P2Y12 receptors or could simply be a chance finding.</p