Replicating a study about children’s drawings concerning radiation

[EN] Radiation surrounds us in various forms and plays a huge role in our everyday life. However, little is known about student and children’s conceptions of this topic. This study is part continuation part replication of the studies carried out by Neumann and Hopf (2013). The method employed in both studies was identical. 459 students drew pictures associated with the concept “radiation” under observation. The resulting motives were subsequently categorized and compared. In this study the children barely associate the concept of “radiation” with the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. Moreover, a number of differences could be realized when compared to the reference study. For instance, significantly more students drew cell phones and computer monitors in the current study. Additionally, a greater number of drawings related to radioactivity could be observed. Overall, the findings of this work indicate that not only are students exposed to the media at a much younger age, but also more frequently. This leads to the conclusion that more and more children build their own understanding of a particular subject, which could potentially result in misconceptions.Plotz, T.; Hollenthoner, F. (2019). Replicating a study about children’s drawings concerning radiation. Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences. 6(1):71-88. https://doi.org/10.4995/muse.2019.10390SWORD718861Brown, J. M., Henderson, J., & Armstrong, M. P. (1987). Children's perceptions of nuclear power stations as revealed through their drawings. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 7(3), 189-199, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(87)80029-4.Chambers, D. W. (1983). Stereotypic images of the scientist: The Draw‐a‐Scientist Test. Science Education, 67(2), 255-265. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730670213Dikmenli, M. (2010). Misconceptions of cell division held by student teachers in biology: A drawing analysis. Scientific Research and Essays, 5(2), 235-247.Dove, J. E., Everett, L. A., & Preece, P. F. W. (1999). Exploring a hydrological concept through children's drawings. International Journal of Science Education, 21(5), 485-497, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/095006999290534.Eijkelhof, H., & Millar, R. (1988). Reading about Chernobyl: the public understanding of radiation and radioactivity. School Science Review, 70(251), 35-41.Eijkelhof, H. M. C. (1996). Radiation Risk and Science Education. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 68(3-4), 273-278. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a031878Eijkelhof, H. M. C., Klaassen, C. W. J. M., Lijnse, P. L., & Scholte, R. L. J. (1990). Perceived incidence and importance of lay-ideas on ionizing radiation: Results of a delphi-study among radiation-experts. Science Education, 74(2), 183-195, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730740205.Libarkin, J. C., Asghar, A., Crockett, C., & Sadler, P. (2011). Invisible Misconceptions: Student Understanding of Ultraviolet and Infrared Radiation. Astronomy Education Review, 10(1), 10105, http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/aer2011022.Lijnse, P. L., Eijkelhof, H. M. C., Klaassen, C. W. J. M., & Scholte, R. L. J. (1990). Pupils' and mass-media ideas about radioactivity. International Journal of Science Education, 12(1), 67-78, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0950069900120106.Makel, M. C., & Plucker, J. A. (2014). Facts Are More Important Than Novelty. Educational Researcher, 43(6), 304-316, http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14545513.Millar, R. (1994). School students' understanding of key ideas about radioactivity and ionizing radiation. Public Understanding of Science, 3(1), 53-70, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0963-6625/3/1/004.Millar, R., & Gill, J. S. (1996). School students' understanding of processes involving radioactive substances and ionizing radiation. Physics Education, 31(1), 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/31/1/019Millar, R., Klaassen, K., & Eijkelhof, H. (1990). Teaching about radioactivity and ionising radiation: an alternative approach. Physics Education, 25(6), 338. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/25/6/310Neumann, S., & Hopf, M. (2011). Was verbinden Schülerinnen und Schüler mit dem Begriff "Strahlung". Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften, 17, 157-176.Neumann, S., & Hopf, M. (2012). Students' Conceptions About "Radiation": Results from an Explorative Interview Study of 9th Grade Students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21(6), 826-834, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10956-012-9369-9.Neumann, S., & Hopf, M. (2013). Children's Drawings About "Radiation" - Before and After Fukushima. Research in Science Education, 43(4), 1535-1549, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11165-012-9320-3.Plotz, T. (2017). Students' conceptions of radiation and what to do about them. Physics Education, 52(1), 014004, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/52/1/014004.Rego, F., & Peralta, L. (2006). Portuguese students' knowledge of radiation physics. Physics Education, 41(3), 259-262. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/41/3/009Rennie, L. J., & Jarvis, T. (1995). Children's choice of drawings to communicate their ideas about technology. Research in Science Education, 25(3), 239-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357399Schmidt, S. (2009). Shall we really do it again? The powerful concept of replication is neglected in the social sciences. Review of General Psychology, 13(2), 90-100, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015108Thomas, G. V., & Silk, A. M. (1990). An introduction to the psychology of children's drawings: New York University Press.White, R., & Gunstone, R. (1992). Probing Understanding. London, New York: RoutledgeFalmer

Independent lung ventilation in a newborn with asymmetric acute lung injury due to respiratory syncytial virus: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Independent lung ventilation is a form of protective ventilation strategy used in adult asymmetric acute lung injury, where the application of conventional mechanical ventilation can produce ventilator-induced lung injury and ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Only a few experiences have been published on the use of independent lung ventilation in newborn patients.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of independent lung ventilation in a 16-day-old infant of 3.5 kg body weight who had an asymmetric lung injury due to respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. We used independent lung ventilation applying conventional protective pressure controlled ventilation to the less-compromised lung, with a respiratory frequency proportional to the age of the patient, and a pressure controlled high-frequency ventilation to the atelectatic lung. This was done because a single tube conventional ventilation protective strategy would have exposed the less-compromised lung to a high mean airways pressure. The target of independent lung ventilation is to provide adequate gas exchange at a safe mean airways pressure level and to expand the atelectatic lung. Independent lung ventilation was accomplished for 24 hours. Daily chest radiograph and gas exchange were used to evaluate the efficacy of independent lung ventilation. Extubation was performed after 48 hours of conventional single-tube mechanical ventilation following independent lung ventilation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case report demonstrates the feasibility of independent lung ventilation with two separate tubes in neonates as a treatment of an asymmetric acute lung injury.</p

Fermi Large Area Telescope View of the Core of the Radio Galaxy Centaurus A

We present gamma-ray observations with the LAT on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope of the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus~A. The previous EGRET detection is confirmed, and the localization is improved using data from the first 10 months of Fermi science operation. In previous work, we presented the detection of the lobes by the LAT; in this work, we concentrate on the gamma-ray core of Cen~A. Flux levels as seen by the LAT are not significantly different from that found by EGRET, nor is the extremely soft LAT spectrum (\G=2.67\pm0.10_{stat}\pm0.08_{sys} where the photon flux is \Phi\propto E^{-\G}). The LAT core spectrum, extrapolated to higher energies, is marginally consistent with the non-simultaneous HESS spectrum of the source. The LAT observations are complemented by simultaneous observations from Suzaku, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope and X-ray Telescope, and radio observations with the Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry (TANAMI) program, along with a variety of non-simultaneous archival data from a variety of instruments and wavelengths to produce a spectral energy distribution (SED). We fit this broadband data set with a single-zone synchrotron/synchrotron self-Compton model, which describes the radio through GeV emission well, but fails to account for the non-simultaneous higher energy TeV emission observed by HESS from 2004-2008. The fit requires a low Doppler factor, in contrast to BL Lacs which generally require larger values to fit their broadband SEDs. This indicates the \g-ray emission originates from a slower region than that from BL Lacs, consistent with previous modeling results from Cen~A. This slower region could be a slower moving layer around a fast spine, or a slower region farther out from the black hole in a decelerating flow.Comment: Accepted by ApJ. 32 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. J. Finke and Y. Fukazawa corresponding author

Standardised data on initiatives—STARDIT: Beta version

Background and objective: There is currently no standardised way to share information across disciplines about initiatives, including fields such as health, environment, basic science, manufacturing, media and international development. All problems, including complex global problems such as air pollution and pandemics require reliable data sharing between disciplines in order to respond effectively. Current reporting methods also lack information about the ways in which different people and organisations are involved in initiatives, making it difficult to collate and appraise data about the most effective ways to involve different people. The objective of STARDIT (Standardised Data on Initiatives) is to address current limitations and inconsistencies in sharing data about initiatives. The STARDIT system features standardised data reporting about initiatives, including who has been involved, what tasks they did, and any impacts observed. STARDIT was created to help everyone in the world find and understand information about collective human actions, which are referred to as ‘initiatives’. STARDIT enables multiple categories of data to be reported in a standardised way across disciplines, facilitating appraisal of initiatives and aiding synthesis of evidence for the most effective ways for people to be involved in initiatives. This article outlines progress to date on STARDIT; current usage; information about submitting reports; planned next steps and how anyone can become involved. Method: STARDIT development is guided by participatory action research paradigms, and has been co-created with people from multiple disciplines and countries. Co-authors include cancer patients, people affected by rare diseases, health researchers, environmental researchers, economists, librarians and academic publishers. The co-authors also worked with Indigenous peoples from multiple countries and in partnership with an organisation working with Indigenous Australians. Results and discussion: Over 100 people from multiple disciplines and countries have been involved in co-designing STARDIT since 2019. STARDIT is the first open access web-based data-sharing system which standardises the way that information about initiatives is reported across diverse fields and disciplines, including information about which tasks were done by which stakeholders. STARDIT is designed to work with existing data standards. STARDIT data will be released into the public domain (CC0) and integrated into Wikidata; it works across multiple languages and is both human and machine readable. Reports can be updated throughout the lifetime of an initiative, from planning to evaluation, allowing anyone to be involved in reporting impacts and outcomes. STARDIT is the first system that enables sharing of standardised data about initiatives across disciplines. A working Beta version was publicly released in February 2021 (ScienceforAll.World/STARDIT). Subsequently, STARDIT reports have been created for peer-reviewed research in multiple journals and multiple research projects, demonstrating the usability. In addition, organisations including Cochrane and Australian Genomics have created prospective reports outlining planned initiatives. Conclusions: STARDIT can help create high-quality standardised information on initiatives trying to solve complex multidisciplinary global problems

Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Vagotomy on Systemic and Pulmonary Inflammation in a Two-Hit Model in Rats

Pulmonary inflammation contributes to ventilator-induced lung injury. Sepsis-induced pulmonary inflammation (first hit) may be potentiated by mechanical ventilation (MV, second hit). Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve has been shown to attenuate inflammation in various animal models through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. We determined the effects of vagotomy (VGX) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on systemic and pulmonary inflammation in a two-hit model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were i.v. administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and subsequently underwent VGX, VNS or a sham operation. 1 hour following LPS, MV with low (8 mL/kg) or moderate (15 mL/kg) tidal volumes was initiated, or animals were left breathing spontaneously (SP). After 4 hours of MV or SP, rats were sacrificed. Cytokine and blood gas analysis was performed. MV with 15, but not 8 mL/kg, potentiated the LPS-induced pulmonary pro-inflammatory cytokine response (TNF-α, IL-6, KC: p<0.05 compared to LPS-SP), but did not affect systemic inflammation or impair oxygenation. VGX enhanced the LPS-induced pulmonary, but not systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine response in spontaneously breathing, but not in MV animals (TNF-α, IL-6, KC: p<0.05 compared to SHAM), and resulted in decreased pO2 (p<0.05 compared to sham-operated animals). VNS did not affect any of the studied parameters in both SP and MV animals. In conclusion, MV with moderate tidal volumes potentiates the pulmonary inflammatory response elicited by systemic LPS administration. No beneficial effects of vagus nerve stimulation performed following LPS administration were found. These results questions the clinical applicability of stimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in systemically inflamed patients admitted to the ICU where MV is initiated

Hypereosinophilic syndromes

Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) constitute a rare and heterogeneous group of disorders, defined as persistent and marked blood eosinophilia (> 1.5 × 109/L for more than six consecutive months) associated with evidence of eosinophil-induced organ damage, where other causes of hypereosinophilia such as allergic, parasitic, and malignant disorders have been excluded. Prevalence is unknown. HES occur most frequently in young to middle-aged patients, but may concern any age group. Male predominance (4–9:1 ratio) has been reported in historic series but this is likely to reflect the quasi-exclusive male distribution of a sporadic hematopoietic stem cell mutation found in a recently characterized disease variant. Target-organ damage mediated by eosinophils is highly variable among patients, with involvement of skin, heart, lungs, and central and peripheral nervous systems in more than 50% of cases. Other frequently observed complications include hepato- and/or splenomegaly, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and coagulation disorders. Recent advances in underlying pathogenesis have established that hypereosinophilia may be due either to primitive involvement of myeloid cells, essentially due to occurrence of an interstitial chromosomal deletion on 4q12 leading to creation of the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene (F/P+ variant), or to increased interleukin (IL)-5 production by a clonally expanded T cell population (lymphocytic variant), most frequently characterized by a CD3-CD4+ phenotype. Diagnosis of HES relies on observation of persistent and marked hypereosinophilia responsible for target-organ damage, and exclusion of underlying causes of hypereosinophilia, including allergic and parasitic disorders, solid and hematological malignancies, Churg-Strauss disease, and HTLV infection. Once these criteria are fulfilled, further testing for eventual pathogenic classification is warranted using appropriate cytogenetic and functional approaches. Therapeutic management should be adjusted to disease severity and eventual detection of pathogenic variants. For F/P+ patients, imatinib has undisputedly become first line therapy. For others, corticosteroids are generally administered initially, followed by agents such as hydroxycarbamide, interferon-alpha, and imatinib, for corticosteroid-resistant cases, as well as for corticosteroid-sparing purposes. Recent data suggest that mepolizumab, an anti-IL-5 antibody, is an effective corticosteroid-sparing agent for F/P-negative patients. Prognosis has improved significantly since definition of HES, and currently depends on development of irreversible heart failure, as well as eventual malignant transformation of myeloid or lymphoid cells