Early Christian Worship

Author: Bradshaw, Paul F. Title: Early Christian worship. Publisher: Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Pr, 2001

Endoscopic ultrasound in the staging of gastrointestinal luminal malignancies

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is an important tool in the staging of gastrointestinal cancers. This review highlights the use of EUS in the staging of gastrointestinal luminal malignancies and compares the performance of EUS with other imaging modalities (CT, MRI and PET-CT) in the staging of these malignancies. Management algorithms in the staging of these malignancies are also presented.peer-reviewe

The great pretender : Autoimmune Pancreatitis

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a benign disorder which frequently presents with symptoms and imaging suggestive of pancreatic malignancy. Up to 21% of pancreatoduodenectomies performed for suspected pancreatic cancer are found to have benign disease. Autoimmune pancreatitis responds rapidly to corticosteroids and may be associated with extra- pancreatic manifestations. Type 1 forms part of the IgG4-related disease while type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis is less likely to have elevated levels of IgG4. This review discusses the characteristics of the two types of autoimmune pancreatitis and highlights the management and prognosis of this condition.peer-reviewe

Non-Invasive monitoring of Inflammatory Bowel Disease : time to use newer tools?

Introduction: In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), commonly used biomarkers employed for non-invasive monitoring of disease activity are the C-reactive Protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). Ulcerative colitis (UC) has a modest to absent CRP response despite active inflammation. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is often a marker of active disease in IBD. Methods: CRP, ESR, and Haemoglobin level taken within 7 days of a colonoscopy were analysed and compared with histopathological findings from colonic and ileal biopsies. Results: Colonic biopsies from 95 colonoscopies in UC patients; and colonic and ileal biopsies from 98 colonoscopies in CD patients were analyzed. The Positive Predictive Values and Negative Predictive Values relating to ESR, CRP and iron deficiency anaemia in the two groups of patients were calculated. Conclusion: UC has a similar CRP response to CD in active inflammation. Commonly used biomarkers have poor sensitivities in demonstrating active mucosal disease. IDA has little value when used as a marker of disease activity on its own but may be used as an adjunct to ESR and CRP. Faecal biomarkers and novel antibodies may help to increase the sensitivity and specificity in non-invasive monitoring of IBD.peer-reviewe

What assistance is needed? : assessment for literacy learning difficulties in NZ schools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

At the present time, contemporary information regarding effective assessment and remediation practices for children with literacy learning difficulties in New Zealand/Aotearoa schools is scarce. The aim of the present study was to fill that gap in our understanding by carrying out a survey of current practices and comparing these with the research literature on best practice in assessment and remediation. To address the research questions, an online survey was developed and emailed to all schools in New Zealand/Aotearoa. There were 208 responses from a wide range of schools across the country and from a number of specialist teachers and school leaders. In addition to the online survey, interviews were carried out with 13 of the respondents, representing both teachers and specialist teachers. The results indicated a wide diversity of assessment and remediation practices in schools for students with literacy learning difficulties. A possible explanation for this is that assessment and remediation methods are often tied to theoretical views of the literacy process. At the current time in New Zealand/Aotearoa there are varied theoretical perspectives that seem to account for that diversity, in particular, the difference between whole language and phonological theories and their implications for assessment and remediation. The results from this study indicated that teachers and specialists were focusing mainly on proximal factors in assessment and were teaching to those factors. They paid less attention to the assessment of distal factors which is more of a focus among psychologists. This study provides the basis for further discussion into how best to identify and remediate students with literacy learning difficulties in New Zealand/Aotearoa

On equality and colourblindness

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." So said Martin Luther King, Jr, just over 40 years ago, in a speech that galvanised the US civil rights movement. King spoke of the United States but his dream is equally relevant in New Zealand. Has it been achieved? Some people would argue that not only has it been achieved but that the tables have been turned and now white folk are the ones who are oppressed. What is needed, they argue, is a level playing field. But how level is the playing field

Computer‐aided assessment in statistics: The CAMPUS project

This paper describes the specification, features and implementation of computer‐aided assessment software designed primarily for conducting assessments in Statistics but equally applicable to other quantitative disciplines. The CAMPUS (Computer Aided Marking Program Using Spreadsheets) package has been developed in Microsoft Excel so as to provide a familiar computing environment for both assessors and students. The principal feature of CAMPUS is the facility for setting questions containing random elements (including random graphs), so that each student sits essentially the same questions but with different answers. This helps to eliminate plagiarism and allows a single test to be used many times, either for reassessment or additional practice. CAMPUS has been implemented in a higher‐education context but could also be used at school level

Explaining individual differences in linguistic proficiency

Response to peer commentar

Cystic Lesions of the Pancreas

With the increasing use of abdominal imaging, cystic lesions of the pancreas are being more frequently detected. These lesions may carry a significant premalignant potential. Current guidelines recommend that mucinous cystic neoplasms, solid pseudopapillary neoplasms, main duct-intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and branch duct-intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (DB-IPMN) with "high-risk stigmata" for malignancy should be resected while asymptomatic BD-IPMN without mural nodules, no main duct involvement, and a size less than 30 mm can be followed up. Serous cystadenomas carry a very small malignant risk and are usually resected only if they cause symptoms. This review article highlights the common characteristics and recommended management of these cystic lesions of the pancreas.peer-reviewe

Programmers and Forensic Analyses: Accusers Under the Confrontation Clause

Recent Supreme Court cases involving the Confrontation Clause have strengthened defendants’ right to face their accusers. Bullcoming v. New Mexico explored the question of whether the testimony of the technician who performs a forensic analysis may be substituted by that of another analyst, and the Court held that producing a surrogate witness who was not sufficiently involved in the analysis violates the confrontation right. The presumption of infallible technology is fading, and courts may soon realize programmers have greater influence over the ultimate outcome of forensic tests than do the technicians who rely on such analytical tools. The confrontation right, so bolstered by recent cases, may encompass defendants’ right to demand testimony from the programmers of machines performing forensic analyses. The Bullcoming decision is certain to affect whether the right to confront the programmer will be recognized