Updated guidance on the management of COVID-19:from an American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society coordinated International Task Force (29 July 2020)

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. Consensus suggestions can standardise care, thereby improving outcomes and facilitating future research. METHODS: An International Task Force was composed and agreement regarding courses of action was measured using the Convergence of Opinion on Recommendations and Evidence (CORE) process. 70% agreement was necessary to make a consensus suggestion. RESULTS: The Task Force made consensus suggestions to treat patients with acute COVID-19 pneumonia with remdesivir and dexamethasone but suggested against hydroxychloroquine except in the context of a clinical trial; these are revisions of prior suggestions resulting from the interim publication of several randomised trials. It also suggested that COVID-19 patients with a venous thromboembolic event be treated with therapeutic anticoagulant therapy for 3 months. The Task Force was unable to reach sufficient agreement to yield consensus suggestions for the post-hospital care of COVID-19 survivors. The Task Force fell one vote shy of suggesting routine screening for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The Task Force addressed questions related to pharmacotherapy in patients with COVID-19 and the post-hospital care of survivors, yielding several consensus suggestions. Management options for which there is insufficient agreement to formulate a suggestion represent research priorities.status: Published onlin

Evolutionary history of Serpulaceae (Basidiomycota): molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and evidence for a single transition of nutritional mode

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The fungal genus <it>Serpula </it>(Serpulaceae, Boletales) comprises several saprotrophic (brown rot) taxa, including the aggressive house-infecting dry rot fungus <it>Serpula lacrymans</it>. Recent phylogenetic analyses have indicated that the ectomycorrhiza forming genera <it>Austropaxillus </it>and <it>Gymnopaxillus </it>cluster within <it>Serpula</it>. In this study we use DNA sequence data to investigate phylogenetic relationships, historical biogeography of, and nutritional mode transitions in Serpulaceae.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results corroborate that the two ectomycorrhiza-forming genera, <it>Austropaxillus </it>and <it>Gymnopaxillus</it>, form a monophyletic group nested within the saprotrophic genus <it>Serpula</it>, and that the <it>Serpula </it>species <it>S. lacrymans </it>and <it>S. himantioides </it>constitute the sister group to the <it>Austropaxillus</it>-<it>Gymnopaxillus </it>clade. We found that both vicariance (Beringian) and long distance dispersal events are needed to explain the phylogeny and current distributions of taxa within Serpulaceae. Our results also show that the transition from brown rot to mycorrhiza has happened only once in a monophyletic Serpulaceae, probably between 50 and 22 million years before present.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study supports the growing understanding that the same geographical barriers that limit plant- and animal dispersal also limit the spread of fungi, as a combination of vicariance and long distance dispersal events are needed to explain the present patterns of distribution in Serpulaceae. Our results verify the transition from brown rot to ECM within Serpulaceae between 50 and 22 MyBP.</p

Applications and efficiencies of the first cat 63K DNA array

Correction, Volume: 8 Article Number: 8746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26885-5 Published: JUN 4 2018The development of high throughput SNP genotyping technologies has improved the genetic dissection of simple and complex traits in many species including cats. The properties of feline 62,897 SNPs Illumina Infinium iSelect DNA array are described using a dataset of over 2,000 feline samples, the most extensive to date, representing 41 cat breeds, a random bred population, and four wild felid species. Accuracy and efficiency of the array's genotypes and its utility in performing population-based analyses were evaluated. Average marker distance across the array was 37,741 Kb, and across the dataset, only 1% (625) of the markers exhibited poor genotyping and only 0.35% (221) showed Mendelian errors. Marker polymorphism varied across cat breeds and the average minor allele frequency (MAF) of all markers across domestic cats was 0.21. Population structure analysis confirmed a Western to Eastern structural continuum of cat breeds. Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium ranged from 50-1,500 Kb for domestic cats and 750 Kb for European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris). Array use in trait association mapping was investigated under different modes of inheritance, selection and population sizes. The efficient array design and cat genotype dataset continues to advance the understanding of cat breeds and will support monogenic health studies across feline breeds and populations.Peer reviewe

Beginning elementary school teachers and the effective teaching of science

Many factors influence the teaching of science by beginning teachers in elementary schools. They have to confront a myriad of daunting experiences and tasks in their first few weeks at school. They are also expected to teach a comprehensive curriculum including science with its attendant demands for a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, cooperative group work, and reliance on resources. This paper describes the experiences of three beginning teachers as they worked their way through the first year of teaching, with an emphasis on analyzing the influence of these experiences on their planning and implementation of science lessons in the classroom. A theoretical framework of self-efficacy, and related attitudes and motivation to teach science, was used for the analysis. Implications for the design of science education courses within preservice programs, and the development of induction programs for beginning elementary teachers, to ensure teachers’ long-term commitment to the effective teaching of science, are discussed in the paper

Origins of, and changes in preservice teachers' science teaching self efficacy

This paper reports on a part of a study of factors that contribute to science anxiety and science teaching self efficacy among preservice primary and early childhood teachers. It draws upon our experiences over four years with preservice primary and early childhood teachers at an Australian University. Primary teachers are responsible for the inclusion of science instruction in years 1-7 while the early childhood teachers should provide science experiences for children in child care, kindergarten, preschool and the early years of primary school. Science anxiety presumably develops through negative and limited experiences and impacts on people's interests and beliefs about science and, for preservice teachers, their confidence to teach science. Preservice training of teachers is an opportunity to provide positive experiences that may enhance student teachers' beliefs that they may become effective science teachers. Thus, the experiences and beliefs of primary and early childhood preservice teachers were explored in an ethnographic research tradition. In all 366 students from four cohorts were studied. Two of these cohorts were undertaking a content oriented Science Foundations course that focused on matter and energy concepts. A third cohort undertook a Science Curriculum course that concentrated on science teaching methods and the fourth cohort represented a smaller group of post-baccalaureate students who completed a combined content-methods course. Students' self efficacy, attitudes to science, perceptions of their University learning environment were measured at the commencement and conclusion of the semester of study and selected students were interviewed at various stages of the one semester course. The salient outcomes revealed that personal science teaching self efficacy was associated with negative high school experiences and could be improved in situations where individual students experienced support and an appropriate learning environment. Outcome expectancy also could be improved through experiences in which students successfully implemented teaching programs to children. Analysis of qualitative data revealed interesting contrasts between students. A series of assertions about the causative factors that may influence the development of students' sense of self efficacy were derived from an analysis of the data

Beginning Teachers Becoming Professionals Through Action Research

This paper describes the conduct of, and acquired understandings from, a study designed to promote the professional growth of a group of beginning primary school teachers through participatory action research. The beginning teachers collaborated with university academic staff during the design and conduct of the study. A key component of the study was the formation of action research cells of participating teachers with each group focusing on particular aspects of teaching, for example, assessment, catering for gifted and talented students, and inclusivity in the classroom teaching program. The overall findings from the study, from the view of the university researchers, are presented and reflected upon in this paper. The implications of using action research for the professional growth of beginning teachers are also discussed

Setting the environment for life-long learning: Collaborative and authentic learning practices in primary science teacher education

The rapid growth in knowledge over recent times has meant that teachers have to be responsive to new and ever changing demands of society. Science is among those key areas of knowledge that has experienced overwhelming growth and thus developing scientific literacy is a priority if citizens are to participate effectively in society. Failure to develop children’s interest in science will disempower a generation of children in an era when scientific knowledge is at the foundation of our culture. Unfortunately, many primary teachers express a lack of confidence in their ability to teach science with dire consequences for the quality of teaching. This paper reports a study involving a cohort of 161 primary preservice teachers in the third year of a four-year Bachelor of Education course studying science education. An instructional program that addressed five essential dimensions of meaningful learning – the knowledge base, metacognition, motivation, individual differences and context – was implemented. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained through surveys, observations and focus session reviews revealed that a learning environment based on social constructivist perspectives was effective in developing students’ conceptual and pedagogical knowledge, and most importantly enhanced students’ sense of science teaching self-efficacy. Particular initiatives that were identified by students of value were collaborative learning and associated strategies, reflective journal writing, and assignment tasks that adopted principles of problem based learning. While statistically significant gains in science teaching self efficacy (p < .001) were observed overall, qualitative data provided a more detailed analysis of the changes in motivations and goals of individual student teachers. The paper explores how the experiences develop the confidence and will to teach science in primary school and how opportunities were provided that empowered the student teachers to be proactive seekers of knowledge – lifelong learners

Enhancing Teachers' Incorporation of ICT in Classroom Teaching

It is recognised worldwide that there is a slow uptake by teachers of Information Communication Technologies in school classrooms. This study focused on determining the effectiveness of a school-based, on-site, and ongoing professional development program conducted in a primary school in Hong Kong. There were training sessions conducted by fellow teachers, and participatory action research groups to share resources and experience in incorporating ICT in teaching. Teachers’ incorporation of computers in teaching was significantly increased in the first year of intervention but showed fluctuation in the second year. A number of explanations were offered by teachers in their interviews for these changes. The paper concludes with an examination of the implications of the study for teaching in primary schools

Inquiry science: Issues in the implementation of a community of learners

This paper reports the problems of a researcher-teacher attempting to meet the challenge of inquiry learning in grade 8 science. The research was conducted in two classes the first being a class of 32 students taught over a term. During these 27 lessons, students were engaged in investigating the establishment of a space colony on Mars. The second class was taught the following year for six weeks during which students were engaged in a range of problems associated with the properties of matter. Issues concerning problems of scaffolding, group dynamics and goal direction that were identified in the first study were addressed in the second study. Analysis of videotapes of the lessons, survey data and interviews with the participants which included the regular classroom teacher provided insights into the dynamics of establishing a community of learners, and identified constraints and expectations held by stakeholders of what science teaching should be about. The implications for teaching science using these pedagogical practices are examined

Development of a learning community in a science classroom

Extensive research has shown that school practices in teaching science are alien to the routine processes of scientific endeavour in the real world and hence school science lacks interest for many students. Advocates of authentic science argue that school science should seek to redress this situation through the development of the discourse of science manifested in such notions as a community of learners. This paper reports on a study that explored pedagogical practices that emphasised the collaborative and communal nature of knowledge construction in science. The challenge was to develop strategies by which students become effective learners of science and enculturated into a community of scientific practice. A science program was conducted in a grade 8 class of 32 students over a term. During these 27 lessons, students were engaged in exploring ways of colonising Mars and investigating the planning and establishment of a space colony on Mars. Analysis of videotapes of the lessons, survey data and interviews with the participants provided insights into the dynamics of establishing a community of learners, and identified constraints and expectations held by stakeholders of what science teaching should be about. The implications for teaching science using these pedagogical practices are examined