What goes around comes around: Perspectives on different physics curricula in Australia

The curriculum has always invoked great contestation. In one of the states in Australia, New South Wales, the high school physics curriculum (for university entry) has undergone some significant changes over the last twenty years (Georgiou & Crook, 2017). Rather than incremental changes, these changes were substantial, including attempts to include socially and culturally physics knowledge and to provide students with opportunities to undertake independent research. We discuss the nature of these changes, and how they fit into the landscape of curriculum design, in particular, how certain characteristics seem to cycle in and out of fashion. We also report on teachers’ perspectives of these changes, as reported on a survey administered in 2021, three years after the ‘new’ curriculum had been introduced. Teachers agreed on some aspects in relation to curriculum design in physics, including that it needs to be ‘rigorous’ and mathematical, however, there were also some disagreements, particularly in relation to whether the curriculum was achieving its aim to develop ‘depth’ of knowledge (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2020). REFERENCES Georgiou, H. & Crook, S. (2017). Watching the pendulum swing: Changes in the NSW physics curriculum and consequences for the discipline. Australian Physics, 54 (6), 214-218. NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), 2020 Nurturing Wonder and Igniting Passion, designs for a new school curriculum: NSW Curriculum Review online: https://nswcurriculumreform.nesa.nsw.edu.au/home/siteAreaContent/524abec1-f0f9-4ffd-9e01-2cc89432ad5

Teachers’ perspectives of the ‘new’ back-to-basics NSW Physics syllabus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS In NSW from 2018, senior high school students have been experiencing a transformed Physics syllabus. This syllabus is considered to take a ‘back-to-basics’ approach where core principles and problem solving were prioritised (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2020), and was a response to the earlier syllabus which was more contextualised and included a discussion of the history of ideas and technologies. This earlier syllabus (2001-2017), attracted significant attention for straying away from ‘real’ physics, for including too much ‘sociology’, for being ‘dumbed down’ and ‘feminised’ (Georgiou & Crook, 2017). Four years on and amongst a backdrop of falling Physics enrolments and worsening female participation, we ask NSW teachers to share their perspectives on some of the most publicised views on the syllabus. DESIGN AND METHODS Teachers completed a survey with nine demographic questions,18 Likert-style questions and 8 open-ended responses. We received a total of 49 responses, though only 37 were admissible after data screening. RESULTS Teachers mostly agreed that the new syllabus was more ‘rigorous’, higher quality, more mathematical, and they generally enjoyed teaching the subject. However, there were also some disagreements amongst the teachers related to whether the new syllabus excluded certain groups of students and whether the aims of the syllabus, in particular, for achieving ‘depth’, were met. CONCLUSIONS These results have implications for national curriculum reform and aims to improve STEM participation and expertise. REFERENCES NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). (2020). Nurturing Wonder and Igniting Passion, designs for a new school curriculum: NSW Curriculum Review online: https://nswcurriculumreform.nesa.nsw.edu.au/home/siteAreaContent/524abec1-f0f9-4ffd-9e01-2cc89432ad52 Georgiou, H. & Crook, S. (2017). Watching the pendulum swing: Changes in the NSW physics curriculum and consequences for the discipline. Australian Physics, 54(6), 214-218

Unilateral left rectus sternalis muscle: a case report

The rectus sternalis muscle is a small supernumerary muscle present in the anterior thoracic wall and is superficial to the sterno-costal fibers of pectoralis major muscle. In present study we came across left rectus sternalis, originated as a small tendon from the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle, and the fascia of the rectus abdominis, and seen inserted into the clavicular fibres of pectoralis major of the opposite side of the manubriosternal joint. The rectus sternalis or sternalis muscle is of much importance in the field of radiology or surgery as its presence and knowledge might be effective and useful for the radiologists and surgeons during management of the pectoral region

The Cell Surface Estrogen Receptor, G Protein- Coupled Receptor 30 (GPR30), is Markedly Down Regulated During Breast Tumorigenesis

Background: GPR30 is a cell surface estrogen receptor that has been shown to mediate a number of non-genomic rapid effects of estrogen and appear to balance the signaling of estrogen and growth factors. In addition, progestins appear to use GPR30 for their actions. Therefore, GPR30 could play a critical role in hormonal regulation of breast epithelial cell integrity. Deregulation of the events mediated by GPR30 could contribute to tumorigenesis.Methods: To understand the role of GPR30 in the deregulation of estrogen signaling processes during breast carcinogenesis, we have undertaken this study to investigate its expression at mRNA levels in tumor tissues and their matched normal tissues. We compared its expression at mRNA levels by RT quantitative real-time PCR relative to GAPDH in ERα”—positive (n = 54) and ERα”—negative (n = 45) breast cancer tissues to their matched normal tissues.Results: We report here, for the first time, that GPR30 mRNA levels were significantly down-regulated in cancer tissues in comparison with their matched normal tissues (p 0.0001 by two sided paired t-test). The GPR30 expression levels were significantly lower in tumor tissues from patients (n = 29) who had lymph node metastasis in comparison with tumors from patients (n = 53) who were negative for lymph node metastasis (two sample t-test, p 0.02), but no association was found with ERα, PR and other tumor characteristics.Conclusions: Down-regulation of GPR30 could contribute to breast tumorigenesis and lymph node metastasis

Development and Validation of a Scale to Explore Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense of Preparedness, Engagement and Self-Efficacy in Classroom Teaching

Raising the quality of initial teacher education can make an important contribution to raising the overall quality of the school system. In Australia, the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is used as a common framework to set standards for the accreditation of teacher education programs. However, institution-wise assessments need to be carried out regularly to explore the quality of preparation pre-service teachers receive and to what extent they feel well prepared to enter teaching. This will enable teacher education programs to implement strategies to strengthen the link between university coursework and professional practice of pre service teachers. This paper discusses the development and validation of a scale to measure pre- service teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to teach, readiness to engage with the teaching profession and self-efficacy in teaching. The study also proposes a model describing the relationship among these variables. Data was collected from 235 final year pre-service teachers using a newly developed questionnaire at an Australian university. Data shows that the Pre service Teacher Professional Experience (PTPE) scale is a theoretically sound, gender invariant and psychometrically valid instrument. The implications of using the scale in teacher education programmes are discussed in the context of the findings

Inhibition of neutrophil apoptosis by PAI-1

Increased circulating and tissue levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) are often present in severe inflammatory states associated with neutrophil activation and accumulation and correlate with poor clinical outcome from many of these conditions. The mechanisms by which PAI-1 contributes to inflammation have not been fully delineated. In the present experiments, we found that addition of PAI-1 to neutrophil cultures diminished the rate of spontaneous and TNFrelated apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptotic cell death. The effects of PAI-1 on cell viability were associated with activation of antiapoptotic signaling pathways, including upregulation of PKB/Akt, Mcl-1, and Bcl-xL. Although urokinase-plasminogen activator receptor, lipoprotein receptor-related protein, and vitronectin are primary ligands for PAI-1, these molecules were not involved in mediating its antiapoptotic properties. In contrast, blocking pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors and selective inhibition of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase reversed the ability of PAI-1 to extend neutrophil viability. The antiapoptotic effects of PAI-1 were also evident under in vivo conditions during LPS-induced acute lung injury, where enhanced apoptosis was present among neutrophils accumulating in the lungs of PAI-1-/- compared with PAI-1+/+ mice. These results demonstrate a novel antiapoptotic role for PAI-1 that may contribute to its participation in neutrophil-associated inflammatory responses. © 2011 the American Physiological Society

Molecular constitution of breast but not other reproductive tissues is rich in growth promoting molecules: A possible link to highest incidence of tumor growths

AbstractIn the current study we tested if highest incidence of benign as well as cancer growths in breast tissue is due to constitutive molecular composition of this tissue. To delineate the molecular basis, we compared the expression of nine functional gene modules (total 578 genes) that regulate major positive growth and negative inhibitory signals in normal breast with two other reproductive tissues, ovary and uterus. We present data to demonstrate that breast tissues constitutively have very highly elevated levels of several growth promoting molecules and diminished levels of inhibitory molecules which may, in part, contribute for highest incidence of tumor growths in this tissue

Plant biosystems design research roadmap 1.0

Human life intimately depends on plants for food, biomaterials, health, energy, and a sustainable environment. Various plants have been genetically improved mostly through breeding, along with limited modification via genetic engineering, yet they are still not able to meet the ever-increasing needs, in terms of both quantity and quality, resulting from the rapid increase in world population and expected standards of living. A step change that may address these challenges would be to expand the potential of plants using biosystems design approaches. This represents a shift in plant science research from relatively simple trial-and-error approaches to innovative strategies based on predictive models of biological systems. Plant biosystems design seeks to accelerate plant genetic improvement using genome editing and genetic circuit engineering or create novel plant systems through de novo synthesis of plant genomes. From this perspective, we present a comprehensive roadmap of plant biosystems design covering theories, principles, and technical methods, along with potential applications in basic and applied plant biology research. We highlight current challenges, future opportunities, and research priorities, along with a framework for international collaboration, towards rapid advancement of this emerging interdisciplinary area of research. Finally, we discuss the importance of social responsibility in utilizing plant biosystems design and suggest strategies for improving public perception, trust, and acceptance

Correlation of expression of BP1, a homeobox gene, with estrogen receptor status in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: BP1 is a novel homeobox gene cloned in our laboratory. Our previous studies in leukemia demonstrated that BP1 has oncogenic properties, including as a modulator of cell survival. Here BP1 expression was examined in breast cancer, and the relationship between BP1 expression and clinicopathological data was determined. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from cell lines, tumors, and matched normal adjacent tissue or tissue from autopsy. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate BP1 expression. Statistical analysis was accomplished with SAS. RESULTS: Analysis of 46 invasive ductal breast tumors demonstrated BP1 expression in 80% of them, compared with a lack of expression in six normal breast tissues and low-level expression in one normal breast tissue. Remarkably, 100% of tumors that were negative for the estrogen receptor (ER) were BP1-positive, whereas 73% of ER-positive tumors expressed BP1 (P = 0.03). BP1 expression was also associated with race: 89% of the tumors of African American women were BP1-positive, whereas 57% of those from Caucasian women expressed BP1 (P = 0.04). However, there was no significant difference in BP1 expression between grades I, II, and III tumors. Interestingly, BP1 mRNA expression was correlated with the ability of malignant cell lines to cause breast cancer in mice. CONCLUSION: Because BP1 is expressed abnormally in breast tumors, it could provide a useful target for therapy, particularly in patients with ER-negative tumors. The frequent expression of BP1 in all tumor grades suggests that activation of BP1 is an early event