Preservice Elementary Teachers Create Mathematical Mystery Object Boxes to Review and Teach Numeration, Algebra, Geometry, and Measurement

A study was conducted with forty-seven preservice childhood (elementary) education teachers (42 F, 5 M) enrolled in two mathematics methods classes taught by the same instructor to determine the effect of these college students making curriculum materials appropriate for upper elementary students on the preservice teachers\u27 knowledge of numeration, algebra, geometry, and measurement. A Mathematical Mystery Object Box is a box containing a set of objects with corresponding clue cards. The student reads the mathematical clues addressing numeration, algebra, geometry, and measurement and attempts to locate the object that satisfies them, checking work with the picture of the correct object on the reverse side of each clue card. The study used an identical pretest/posttest design with a 20-item instrument tied to the New York State Standards for Mathematics for grades four through six. Preservice teacher scores on the pretest administered the first day of class were low (mean = 54%, standard deviation = 18%). However, without any class instruction or review, but through creating teaching materials for elementary students, the posttest scores of preservice teachers increased significantly on the posttest given nine weeks later (mean = 71%, s. d. = 14%). This indicates the amount of learning that occurs when preparing materials to teach others. Example mystery object box materials created by the preservice teachers are provided

Effects of intrauterine exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids on fetal, newborn, and infant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in humans : a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Synthetic glucocorticoids are commonly used in reproductive medicine. Fetal organ systems are highly sensitive to changes in the intrauterine environment, including overexposure to glucocorticoids. Structural and functional alterations resulting from such changes may persist throughout life and have been associated with diverse diseases. One system that could be particularly sensitive to fetal glucocorticoid overexposure is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis. Many human studies have investigated this possibility, but a systematic review to identify consistent, emergent findings is lacking. METHODS: We systematically review 49 human studies, assessing the effects of intrauterine exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids on fetal, neonate, and infant hpa function. RESULTS: Study quality varied considerably, but the main findings held true after restricting the analyses to higher-quality studies: intrauterine exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids reduces offspring hpa activity under unstimulated conditions after pain but not pharmacological challenge. Although reduced unstimulated hpa function appears to recover within the first 2 wk postpartum, blunted hpa reactivity to pain is likely to persist throughout the first 4 months of life. There is some evidence that the magnitude of the effects is correlated with the total amount of glucocorticoids administered and varies with the time interval between glucocorticoid exposure and hpa assessment. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review has allowed the demonstration of the way in which intrauterine exposure to various regimens of synthetic glucocorticoids affects various forms of hpa function. As such, it guides future studies in terms of which variables need to be focused on in order to further strengthen the understanding of such therapy, whilst continuing to profit from its clinical benefits

Hypotension following Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation: The Role of Adrenal Hormones

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that an impaired adrenal response to stress might play a role in the hypotension that follows patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a multicenter study of infants born at <32 weeks gestation who were about to undergo PDA ligation. Serum adrenal steroids were measured three times: before and after a cosyntropin (1.0 microgram/kg) stimulation test (performed prior to the ligation), and at 10–12 hours after the ligation. A standardized approach for diagnosis and treatment of postoperative hypotension was followed at each site. A modified Inotrope Score (1 x dopamine (μg/kg/min) + 1 x dobutamine) was used to monitor the catecholamine support an infant received. Infants were considered to have catecholamine-resistant hypotension if their highest Inotrope Score was >15. RESULTS: Of 95 infants enrolled, 43 (45%) developed hypotension and 14 (15%) developed catecholamine-resistant hypotension. Low post-operative cortisol levels were not associated with the overall incidence of hypotension following ligation. However, low cortisol levels were associated with the refractoriness of the hypotension to catecholamine treatment. In a multivariate analysis: the odds ratio for developing catecholamine-resistant hypotension was OR=36.6, CI=2.8–476, p=0.006. Low cortisol levels (in infants with catecholamine-resistant hypotension) were not due to adrenal immaturity or impairment; their cortisol precursor concentrations were either low or unchanged and their response to cosyntropin was similar to infants without catecholamine-resistant hypotension. CONCLUSION: Infants with low cortisol concentrations following PDA ligation are likely to develop postoperative catecholamine-resistant hypotension. We speculate that decreased adrenal stimulation, rather than an impaired adrenal response to stimulation, may account for the decreased production

Étude des implications du plan pour le développement des arts et de la culture à l’école dans le travail du professeur-documentaliste et analyse d’une expérience en collège

Professorat des lycées et collègesPrésenté en décembre 2000, le plan pour le développement des arts et de la culture à l’école définit les mesures prises pour une meilleure intégration des arts dans le système scolaire. Au nombre de ces dernières, les classes à projet artistique et culturel (classes à PAC) participent, par une pédagogie interdisciplinaire de projet, à la démocratisation de la culture à l’école. Les missions du professeur-documentaliste et la position qu’il occupe dans un établissement font de ce dernier un des acteurs privilégiés d’une ouverture aux arts et à la culture : un rôle concrétisé par le partenariat avec un professeur d’arts plastiques

Manganese Neurotoxicity as a Complication of Chronic Total Parenteral Nutrition

Manganese accumulation in the central nervous system creates clinical symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, behavioral changes, and movement disorders resembling Parkinson’s disease. Radiographic features of this rare clinical entity include symmetric T1 hyperintensities in the bilateral globus pallidi, with corresponding hypointensities on T2-weighted images. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is an increasingly used potentially lifesaving therapy for patients who cannot tolerate enteral nutrition. However, when used over a period of several weeks to months, its associated risks and complications carry significant morbidity and mortality. One of the more rare complications of TPN use is manganese toxicity. We provided care for a 38-year-old female on chronic TPN who presented to the hospital with Parkinsonian features, confusion, falls, and lethargy. MRI brain showed T1 hyperintensities in the bilateral globus pallidi, which were attributed to manganese toxicity from chronic TPN use. Supporting evidence for this rare entity included decreased signal intensity in the bilateral globus pallidi on T2-weighted images and T1 hyperintensities in the substantia nigra. With antifungal treatment and permanent cessation of TPN, her mentation and neurological symptoms began to improve within a week. Repeat MRI brain performed one month after discontinuation of TPN revealed improvement of the T1 hyperintensities in the bilateral globus pallidi. Our objective in presenting this case is to highlight manganese neurotoxicity as a rare complication of TPN in a patient without known hepatic dysfunction and to emphasize the importance of routinely monitoring patients for the possible adverse effects of chronic TPN. Our case is among the handful of published cases in which a patient without known liver dysfunction, which is the primary organ responsible for manganese elimination from the body, developed manganese neurotoxicity

TP/Projet d’introduction aux systèmes embarqués : réalisation d’une station météo

Cet article décrit un TP d’introduction aux systèmes embarqués réalisés avec les étudiants de Télécom Physique Strasbourg en deuxième année du cycle de formation ingénieur (BAC +4). Il vise à introduire les concepts fondamentaux des systèmes embarqués sur un exemple concret, en l’occurrence la réalisation d’une station météo, avec une approche de type projet. Les travaux pratiques se déroulent sur 2 jours (16 heures) pendant lesquels les étudiants apprennent à utiliser les fonctionnalités avancées du microcontrôleur (interruptions et timers), les protocoles de communication standards (SPI, I2C et 1-wire) et mettent en place une communication de type UART entre deux microprocesseurs