Remedial drill for correcting the language errors of children.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Imitative or Iconoclastic? How young children use ready-made images in digital art

Digital art-making tends to foreground the inclusion of ready-made images in children’s art. While some lament children’s use of such images, suggesting that they constrain creativity and expression (McLennan, 2007; Szyba, 1999), others have argued that ready-made digital materials offer children the opportunity to create innovative and potentially iconoclastic artefacts through processes of ‘remix’ (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006) and ‘mash-up’ (Lamb, 2007). In order to further this debate, observations are needed to explore the different ways that children use ready-made images in their digital art and the various purposes that these images can serve. Adopting a social semiotic perspective, this paper offers an in-depth examination of five episodes of 4-5 year olds’ digital art-making that collectively demonstrate the diversity of approaches that young children take towards the inclusion of ready-made images in their digital art-making. The paper discusses these findings in relation to suggestions for what adults can do to support children to adopt a playful and critically aware approach to the use of ready-made images in digital art-making

Critical Games

Four games designed to stimulate critical thinking about the effects of structural and cultural issues on the process of social change: The Growth Game, The Power Game, The Class and Gender Game, The Education and Gender Game

Imitative or Iconoclastic? How young children use ready-made images in digital art

Digital art-making tends to foreground the inclusion of ready-made images in children's art. While some lament children's use of such images, suggesting that they constrain creativity and expression, others have argued that ready-made digital materials offer children the opportunity to create innovative and potentially iconoclastic artefacts through processes of ‘remix’ and ‘mash-up’. In order to further this debate, observations are needed to explore the different ways that children use ready-made images in their digital art and the various purposes that these images can serve. Adopting a social semiotic perspective, this article offers an in-depth examination of five episodes of 4–5 year-olds’ digital art-making that collectively demonstrate the diversity of approaches that young children take towards the inclusion of ready-made images in their digital art-making. The article discusses these findings in relation to suggestions for what adults can do to support children to adopt a playful and critically aware approach to the use of ready-made images in digital art-making

NASA Light-Emitting Diodes for the Prevention of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prophylactic near-infrared light therapy from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. Background Data: Oral mucositis (OM) is a frequent side effect of chemotherapy that leads to increased morbidity. Near-infrared light has been shown to produce biostimulatory effects in tissues, and previous results using nearinfrared lasers have shown improvement in OM indices. However, LEDs may hold greater potential for clinical applications. Materials and Methods: We recruited 32 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing myeloablative therapy in preparation for BMT. Patients were examined by two of three pediatric dentists trained in assessing the Schubert oral mucositis index (OMI) for left and right buccal and lateral tongue mucosal surfaces, while the patients were asked to rate their current left and right mouth pain, left and right xerostomia, and throat pain. LED therapy consisted of daily treatment at a fluence of 4 J/cm2 using a 670-nm LED array held to the left extraoral epithelium starting on the day of transplant, with a concurrent sham treatment on the right. Patients were assessed before BMT and every 2–3 days through posttransplant day 14. Outcomes included the percentage of patients with ulcerative oral mucositis (UOM) compared to historical epidemiological controls, the comparison of left and right buccal pain to throat pain, and the comparison between sides of the buccal and lateral tongue OMI and buccal pain. Results: The incidence of UOM was 53%, compared to an expected rate of 70–90%. There was also a 48% and 39% reduction of treated left and right buccal pain, respectively, compared to untreated throat pain at about posttransplant day 7 (p \u3c 0.05). There were no significant differences between sides in OMI or pain. Conclusion: Although more studies are needed, LED therapy appears useful in the prevention of OM in pediatric BMT patients

Prevalence of HIV infection and median CD4 counts among health care workers in South Africa

Objective. To determine the prevalence of HIV infection and the extent of  disease progression based on CD4 count in a public health system workforce in southern Africa.Design. Cross-sectional voluntary, anonymous, unlinked survey including an oral fluid or blood sample and a brief demographic questionnaire.Setting. Two public hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa.SubJects. All 2 032 professional and support staff employed by the two hospitals.Outcome measures. HIV prevalence and CD4 cell count distribution.Results. Overall prevalence of HIV was 11.5%. By occupation, prevalence was highest among student nurses (13.8%) and nurses (13.7%). The  highest prevalence by age was in the 25- 34-year group (15.9%). Nineteen per cent of HIV-positive participants who provided blood samples had CD4  counts less than or equal to 200 cells/µl, 28% had counts 201 - 350  cells/pi, 18% had counts 351 - 500 cells/µl, and 35% had counts above 500 cells /µl.Conclusions. One out of 7 nurses and nursing students in this public sector workforce was HIV-positive. A high proportion of health care workers had CD4 counts below 350 cells/µl, and many were already eligible for  antiretroviral therapy under South African treatment guidelines. Given the short supply of nurses in South Africa, knowledge of prevalence in this workforce and provision of effective AIDS treatment are crucial for meeting future staffing needs