An exploration of teachers' ontological and epistemological beliefs and their approaches to teaching within an IBMYP environment

This dissertation uses a case study approach to investigate teachers' beliefs about the nature of reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology) within an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program environment. The study explores the possible impact of these beliefs on teachers' approaches to teaching. An interest in teachers' perspectives regarding the nature of reality and knowledge emerged during modular work associated with a Professional Doctorate in Teacher Education with the University of Nottingham. The final modular assignment, prior to the onset of the research stage, involved a consideration of the effect that perceptions of reality, knowledge and truth have on a researcher's philosophy of research. Due to an increased awareness of the impact that these beliefs have on my own philosophy of research, I became interested in how similar beliefs might impact the personal philosophies and pedagogies of teachers. I chose to explore the beliefs and practices of teachers at the International School of Amsterdam (ISA), the school environment in which I work. The study is positioned within the constructivist-interpretive research paradigm. It therefore allows for the emergence of a holistic and contextualized understanding of teachers' beliefs and practices. In choosing this approach, I hoped to explore whether a consideration of teachers' beliefs could play a role in the design of future professional development opportunities at ISA. The research study involved the generation of teacher profiles for each of three respondents, who are all experienced international school teachers. The respondents teach Science, English Literature, and Spanish to middle year students at ISA, which is a private and well-established IB school that offers all three IB programs through English to the children of expatriates as well as to local Dutch children. Within this teaching environment curricula and assessment are concept and process oriented, and teachers are encouraged to incorporate constructivist approaches into their personal pedagogies. The generation and comparison of the teacher profiles helped to uncover the respondents' beliefs and practices in a comprehensive way. Each teacher was observed on several occasions and these observations were followed by lengthy conversations and semi-structured interviews that occurred over an extended period of time. During the follow-up discussions, teachers' ideas and preferences were aligned with contemporary literature that explores possible links between teachers' ontological beliefs, their epistemological beliefs and their teaching practices. The findings of the research indicate that the blends of constructivism preferred by individual teachers mesh well with their ontological beliefs and their epistemological beliefs. The universal concepts they were drawn to, their impressions of the nature of learners, and their view of the learning capacity of groups all seem to connect with their beliefs. The findings suggest that there is a need to take teachers' ontological and epistemological views into account when considering and designing professional development opportunities. These findings contribute to areas of research that explore the impact of teachers' ontological and epistemological beliefs on teaching practice. They also provide direction for further discussion, exploration and research

Introduction from the Editors

Introduction from the Editor

An exploration of teachers' ontological and epistemological beliefs and their approaches to teaching within an IBMYP environment

This dissertation uses a case study approach to investigate teachers' beliefs about the nature of reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology) within an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program environment. The study explores the possible impact of these beliefs on teachers' approaches to teaching. An interest in teachers' perspectives regarding the nature of reality and knowledge emerged during modular work associated with a Professional Doctorate in Teacher Education with the University of Nottingham. The final modular assignment, prior to the onset of the research stage, involved a consideration of the effect that perceptions of reality, knowledge and truth have on a researcher's philosophy of research. Due to an increased awareness of the impact that these beliefs have on my own philosophy of research, I became interested in how similar beliefs might impact the personal philosophies and pedagogies of teachers. I chose to explore the beliefs and practices of teachers at the International School of Amsterdam (ISA), the school environment in which I work. The study is positioned within the constructivist-interpretive research paradigm. It therefore allows for the emergence of a holistic and contextualized understanding of teachers' beliefs and practices. In choosing this approach, I hoped to explore whether a consideration of teachers' beliefs could play a role in the design of future professional development opportunities at ISA. The research study involved the generation of teacher profiles for each of three respondents, who are all experienced international school teachers. The respondents teach Science, English Literature, and Spanish to middle year students at ISA, which is a private and well-established IB school that offers all three IB programs through English to the children of expatriates as well as to local Dutch children. Within this teaching environment curricula and assessment are concept and process oriented, and teachers are encouraged to incorporate constructivist approaches into their personal pedagogies. The generation and comparison of the teacher profiles helped to uncover the respondents' beliefs and practices in a comprehensive way. Each teacher was observed on several occasions and these observations were followed by lengthy conversations and semi-structured interviews that occurred over an extended period of time. During the follow-up discussions, teachers' ideas and preferences were aligned with contemporary literature that explores possible links between teachers' ontological beliefs, their epistemological beliefs and their teaching practices. The findings of the research indicate that the blends of constructivism preferred by individual teachers mesh well with their ontological beliefs and their epistemological beliefs. The universal concepts they were drawn to, their impressions of the nature of learners, and their view of the learning capacity of groups all seem to connect with their beliefs. The findings suggest that there is a need to take teachers' ontological and epistemological views into account when considering and designing professional development opportunities. These findings contribute to areas of research that explore the impact of teachers' ontological and epistemological beliefs on teaching practice. They also provide direction for further discussion, exploration and research

Reactive oxygen species induce virus-independent MAVS-oligomerization in systemic lupus erythematosus

The increased expression of genes induced by type I interferon (IFN) is characteristic of viral infections and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We showed that mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) protein, which normally forms a complex with retinoic acid gene I (RIG-I)–like helicases during viral infection, was activated by oxidative stress independently of RIG-I helicases. We found that chemically generated oxidative stress stimulated the formation of MAVS oligomers, which led to mitochondrial hyperpolarization and decreased adenosine triphosphate production and spare respiratory capacity, responses that were not observed in similarly treated cells lacking MAVS. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of SLE patients also showed spontaneous MAVS oligomerization that correlated with the increased secretion of type I IFN and mitochondrial oxidative stress. Furthermore, inhibition of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ prevented MAVS oligomerization and type I IFN production. ROS-dependent MAVS oligomerization and type I IFN production were reduced in cells expressing the MAVS-C79F variant, which occurs in 30% of sub-Saharan Africans and is linked with reduced type I IFN secretion and milder disease in SLE patients. Patients expressing the MAVS-C79F variant also had reduced amounts of oligomerized MAVS in their plasma compared to healthy controls. Together, our findings suggest that oxidative stress–induced MAVS oligomerization in SLE patients may contribute to the type I IFN signature that is characteristic of this syndrome

Foundations in Wisconsin: A Directory (39th ed. 2020)

The 2020 publication of Foundations in Wisconsin is the 39th edition of the print directory and the 20th year of the online database. The directory is designed as a research tool for grantseekers interested in locating information on private, corporate, and community foundations registered in Wisconsin. Each entry in this new edition has been updated or reviewed to provide the most current information available. Most of the data was drawn from IRS 990-PF tax returns filed by the foundations. Additional information was obtained from surveys, foundation websites, and annual reports. Wisconsin foundations showed continued growth in both the number of active foundations and, most especially, the total grants which are at an all-time high of $811 million. Additionally, 39 new foundations have been identified this year (see page 269 for the complete list).https://epublications.marquette.edu/lib_fiw/1018/thumbnail.jp

Bezlotoxumab for prevention of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in patients at increased risk for recurrence

Background: Bezlotoxumab is a human monoclonal antibody against Clostridium difficile toxin B indicated to prevent C. difficile infection (CDI) recurrence (rCDI) in adults at high risk for rCDI. This post hoc analysis of pooled monocolonal antibodies for C.difficile therapy (MODIFY) I/II data assessed bezlotoxumab efficacy in participants with characteristics associated with increased risk for rCDI. Methods: The analysis population was the modified intent-to-treat population who received bezlotoxumab or placebo (n = 1554) by risk factors for rCDI that were prespecified in the statistical analysis plan: age ≥65 years, history of CDI, compromised immunity, severe CDI, and ribotype 027/078/244. The proportion of participants with rCDI in 12 weeks, fecal microbiota transplant procedures, 30-day all cause and CDI-associated hospital readmissions, and mortality at 30 and 90 days after randomization were presented. Results: The majority of enrolled participants (75.6%) had ≥1 risk factor; these participants were older and a higher proportion had comorbidities compared with participants with no risk factors. The proportion of placebo participants who experienced rCDI exceeded 30% for each risk factor compared with 20.9% among those without a risk factor, and the rCDI rate increased with the number of risk factors (1 risk factor: 31.3%; ≥3 risk factors: 46.1%). Bezlotoxumab reduced rCDI, fecal microbiota transplants, and CDI-associated 30-day readmissions in participants with risk factors for rCDI. Conclusions: The risk factors prespecified in the MODIFY statistical analysis plan are appropriate to identify patients at high risk for rCDI. While participants with ≥3 risk factors had the greatest reduction of rCDI with bezlotoxumab, those with 1 or 2 risk factors may also benefit. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01241552 (MODIFY I) and NCT01513239 (MODIFY II)

Developing an organizing framework to guide nursing research in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG)

Objectives To describe the development and application of an organizing research framework to guide COG Nursing research. Data Sources Research articles, reports and meeting minutes Conclusion An organizing research framework helps to outline research focus and articulate the scientific knowledge being produced by nurses in the pediatric cooperative group. Implication for Nursing Practice The use of an organizing framework for COG nursing research can facilitate clinical nurses’ understanding of how children and families sustain or regain optimal health when faced with a pediatric cancer diagnosis through interventions designed to promote individual and family resilience., The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is the sole National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported cooperative pediatric oncology clinical trials group and the largest organization in the world devoted exclusively to pediatric cancer research. It was founded in 2000 following the merger of the four legacy NCI-supported pediatric clinical trials groups (Children’s Cancer Group [CCG], Pediatric Oncology Group [POG], National Wilms Tumor Study Group, and Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group). The COG currently has over 200 member institutions across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe and a multidisciplinary membership of over 8,000 pediatric, radiation, and surgical oncologists, nurses, clinical research associates, pharmacists, behavioral scientists, pathologists, laboratory scientists, patient/parent advocates and other pediatric cancer specialists. The COG Nursing Discipline was formed from the merger of the legacy CCG and POG Nursing Committees, and current membership exceeds 2000 registered nurses. The discipline has a well-developed infrastructure that promotes nursing involvement throughout all levels of the organization, including representation on disease, protocol, scientific, executive and other administrative committees (e.g., nominating committee, data safety monitoring boards). COG nurses facilitate delivery of protocol-based treatments for children enrolled on COG protocols, and Nursing Discipline initiatives support nursing research, professional and patient/family education, evidence-based practice, and a patient-reported outcomes resource center. The research agenda of the Nursing Discipline is enacted through a well-established nursing scholar program

Medical Concerns

Panel Chair, Greg Cox Papers Presented: Ebene: Psychedelic Snuff of the Yanomami by Kelly Partin Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: A Survey by Mary Cronin Kinematic Analysis of Universal Joint using Catia V5 by Jibin Jacob Effects of Preterm Birth by Patricia J. Campos Proposal for ETT Research using Picutre-Induced Neural Signatures by Katy N. Lee Severe Mental Illness in the Homeless by Batoul C. Zalkout Asthma Disease of the Respiratory System by Janelle Clar

Multiple Exportins Influence Thyroid Hormone Receptor Localization

The thyroid hormone receptor (TR) undergoes nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and regulates target genes involved in metabolism and development. Previously, we showed that TR follows a CRM1/calreticulinmediated nuclear export pathway. However, two lines of evidence suggest TR also follows another pathway: export is only partially blocked by leptomycin B (LMB), a CRM1-specific inhibitor; and we identified nuclear export signals in TR that are LMB-resistant. To determine whether other exportins are involved in TR shuttling, we used RNA interference and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching shuttling assays in transfected cells. Knockdown of exportins 4, 5, and 7 altered TR shuttling dynamics, and when exportins 5 and 7 were overexpressed, TR distribution shifted towards the cytosol. To further assess the effects of exportin overexpression, we examined transactivation of a TR-responsive reporter gene. Our data indicate that multiple exportins influence TR localization, highlighting a fine balance of nuclear import, retention, and export that modulates TR function