Language Teacher Education: Challenges in Promoting a Learner-centered Perspective

Helping in-service and/or pre-service teachers move towards a more learner-centered approach in their classrooms or self-access centers holds many challenges for the teacher educator. This paper discusses two major challenges: the teacher as learner and the role of macro-structures. The paper presents specific solutions the author has used to address the challenge of the teacher as learner and notes the critical kinds of challenges which macrostructures present for the implementation of a learner-centered classroom. For the teacher as learner, solutions include raising awareness through keeping a journal, helping teachers connect theory with their own practice, modelling by the teacher educator, providing sufficient time on task, and promoting teacher self-evaluation.Existen muchos desafíos para el formador que quiere ayudar a los profesores a tener una docencia más centrada en los alumnos en el aula o en un centro de autoaprendizaje. Aquí se describe dos de estos desafíos: el profesor como aprendiz y el rol de las macroestructuras. Este ensayo presenta las soluciones que la autora ha encontrado para el primero de estos desafíos y señala el tipo de dificultades que tienen las macroestructuras para la implementación de una clase que se centra en el alumno. Entre las posibles soluciones para el profesor como aprendiz se incluye el llevar un diario con el fin de conectar teoría y práctica, creación de modelos por parte del formador, tener suficiente tiempo para practicar y fomentar la autoevaluación del profeso

Method for fabricating or modifying an article comprising the removal of a polymer coating

Disclosed is a method for removing poly-para-xylylene, its derivatives, and copolymers (collectively called parylene ) from bodies, including relatively large bodies such as printed circuit (PC) boards, that is capable of yielding relatively high removal rates. A body such as a PC board coated with parylene is placed into a reaction chamber downstream from a microwave plasma such that plasma discharge products generated by the microwave plasma react with the parylene, etching the parylene without exposing the body to bombardment by energetic ions and/or electrons. The plasma is generated from a gas mixture containing oxygen, a second gas, and optional additives such as N2 O, He,or Ar. The second gas is selected from the group consisting of fluorocarbons, fluorosulfides, and chlorofluorocarbons. A currently preferred second gas is CFR4. The inventive method is also applicable for fabricating articles such as integrated circuits and semiconductor devices that comprise a parylene layer

E5501: phase II study of topotecan sequenced with etoposide/cisplatin, and irinotecan/cisplatin sequenced with etoposide for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Sequence-dependent improved efficacy of topoisomerase I followed by topoisomerase 2 inhibitors was assessed in a randomized phase II study in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). METHODS: Patients with previously untreated extensive-stage SCLC with measurable disease, ECOG performance status of 0-3 and stable brain metastases were eligible. Arm A consisted of topotecan (0.75 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 2 and 3, etoposide (70 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (20 mg/m(2)) (PET) on days 8, 9 and 10 in a 3-week cycle. Arm B consisted of irinotecan (50 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (20 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8 followed by etoposide (85 mg/m(2) PO bid) on days 3 and 10 (PIE) in a 3-week cycle. RESULTS: We enrolled 140 patients and randomized 66 eligible patients to each arm. Only 54.5 % of all patients completed the planned maximum 6 cycles. There were grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events in approximately 70 % of the patients on both arms including 6 treatment-related grade 5 events. The overall response rates (CR + PR) were 69.7 % (90 % CI 59.1-78.9, 95 % CI 57.1-80.4 %) for arm A and 57.6 % (90 % CI 46.7-67.9, 95 % CI 44.8-69.7 %) for arm B. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 6.4 months (95 % CI 5.4-7.5 months) and 11.9 months (95 % CI 9.6-13.7 months) for arm A and 6.0 months (95 % CI 5.4-7.0 months) and 11.0 months (95 % CI 8.6-13.1 months) for arm B. CONCLUSION: Sequential administration of topoisomerase inhibitors did not improve on the historical efficacy of standard platinum-doublet chemotherapy for extensive-stage SCLC

A Guide To How Business Schools Can Develop Academic Staff To Engage With Smes

The impetus for business schools to work with small firms is growing. At over 98% of the UK business population, it is essential that our education and research are relevant and useful to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and support their growth, sustainability, and resilience. The profound disruption of the global Covid-19 pandemic has consolidated this push to help bolster our small business population, as well as having profound impacts on the number of new small firms, their business models, products, and their digital transformation.Yet the take up of business school programmes among SMEs is historically low compared with larger companies. Leadership skills gaps in small firms persist, despite UK and devolved governments’ funding and focus.The Chartered Association of Business Schools (Chartered ABS) therefore invited academics from business schools around the UK to explore how schools can develop their staff to engage with SMEs. The working group’s focus was on identifying interventions to increase the amount of business school engagement with SMEs, while examining the barriers and how some schools have overcome them. It also explored enablers of engagement and based its recommendations around practice in Small Business Charter (SBC) awarded schools, and insights gained from relevant literature and policy documents. This working group has developed this report before and during the global pandemic, which has also hugely affected universities and business schools themselves.This document is designed primarily to be a practical aid to decision making for business school leaders, although it may be of interest to a wider stakeholder group, for example business engagement leads in universities, and the Small Business Charter Board.Following secondary research and case study development, and in acknowledgement of changing landscapes for both small firms and universities, recommendations have been proposed, which, for the most part, map onto the identified barriers and challenges. These recommendations are not Covid-specific, but have been evaluated in the light of the seismic changes to both small firms and business schools during this period, and are designed to support resilience and deeper collaborative relationships for recovery and growth. The significant list of recommendations is not proposed to be undertaken in its entirety; it is anticipated that readers will use this document as a resource and may well find some sections more relevant and useful than others. It is also likely that there are other staff development approaches which have proved successful to universities which are not captured here – the working group welcomes contributions which add to the recommendations made at the end of this report.</div

Initial combination therapy with ambrisentan + tadalafil on pulmonary arterial hypertension‒related hospitalization in the AMBITION trial

Background: In the randomized, double-blind, event-driven AMBITION study, initial combination therapy with ambrisentan and tadalafil was associated with a 50% reduction in risk of clinical failure (first occurrence of all-cause death, hospitalization for worsening pulmonary arterial hypertension [PAH], disease progression, or unsatisfactory long-term clinical response) vs pooled monotherapy. These results were primarily driven by a reduction in PAH-related hospitalization in the combination therapy group, although a significant effect was not observed in a post-hoc analysis of all-cause hospitalization. Methods: The effect of initial combination therapy with ambrisentan and tadalafil in AMBITION was further explored to study PAH-related hospitalization, which was not reported in the primary publication. Results: Initial combination therapy was associated with a 63% reduction in risk of PAH-related hospitalization when compared with pooled monotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.372, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.217 to 0.639, p = 0.0002). For every 9 patients treated with combination therapy vs monotherapy, 1 PAH-related hospitalization could be prevented over a 1-year period. Serious adverse events leading to hospitalization, not necessarily PAH-related, occurred in 87 of 253 (34%) and 89 of 247 (36%) of patients on combination therapy and pooled monotherapy, respectively (post-hoc summary). Conclusions: Initial combination therapy with ambrisentan and tadalafil was found to reduce the risk of PAH-related hospitalization by 63% compared with pooled monotherapy

Weekly vs. Every-3-Week Paclitaxel and Carboplatin for Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND A dose-dense weekly schedule of paclitaxel (resulting in a greater frequency of drug delivery) plus carboplatin every 3 weeks or the addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel and carboplatin administered every 3 weeks has shown efficacy in ovarian cancer. We proposed to determine whether dose-dense weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin would prolong progression-free survival as compared with paclitaxel and carboplatin administered every 3 weeks among patients receiving and those not receiving bevacizumab. METHODS We prospectively stratified patients according to whether they elected to receive bevacizumab and then randomly assigned them to receive either paclitaxel, administered intravenously at a dose of 175 mg per square meter of body-surface area every 3 weeks, plus carboplatin (dose equivalent to an area under the curve [AUC] of 6) for six cycles or paclitaxel, administered weekly at a dose of 80 mg per square meter, plus carboplatin (AUC, 6) for six cycles. The primary end point was progression-free survival. RESULTS A total of 692 patients were enrolled, 84% of whom opted to receive bevacizumab. In the intention-to-treat analysis, weekly paclitaxel was not associated with longer progression-free survival than paclitaxel administered every 3 weeks (14.7 months and 14.0 months, respectively; hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74 to 1.06; P=0.18). Among patients who did not receive bevacizumab, weekly paclitaxel was associated with progression-free survival that was 3.9 months longer than that observed with paclitaxel administered every 3 weeks (14.2 vs. 10.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.95; P=0.03). However, among patients who received bevacizumab, weekly paclitaxel did not significantly prolong progression-free survival, as compared with paclitaxel administered every 3 weeks (14.9 months and 14.7 months, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.20; P=0.60). A test for interaction that assessed homogeneity of the treatment effect showed a significant difference between treatment with bevacizumab and without bevacizumab (P=0.047). Patients who received weekly paclitaxel had a higher rate of grade 3 or 4 anemia than did those who received paclitaxel every 3 weeks (36% vs. 16%), as well as a higher rate of grade 2 to 4 sensory neuropathy (26% vs. 18%); however, they had a lower rate of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (72% vs. 83%). CONCLUSIONS Overall, weekly paclitaxel, as compared with paclitaxel administered every 3 weeks, did not prolong progression-free survival among patients with ovarian cancer

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension with and without cardiovascular risk factors: Results from the AMBITION trial

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension enrolled in the AMBITION trial with (excluded from the primary analysis set [ex-primary analysis set]) and without (primary analysis set) multiple risk factors for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Methods: Treatment-naive patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension were randomized to once-daily ambrisentan and tadalafil combination therapy, ambrisentan monotherapy, or tadalafil monotherapy. The primary end point was time from randomization to first adjudicated clinical failure event. Results: Primary analysis set patients (n = 500), compared with ex-primary analysis set patients (n = 105), were younger (mean, 54.4 vs 62.1 years) with greater baseline 6-minute walk distance (median, 363.7 vs 330.5 meters) and fewer comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and diabetes). Treatment effects of initial combination therapy vs pooled monotherapy were directionally the same for both populations, albeit of a lower magnitude for ex-primary analysis set patients. Initial combination therapy reduced the risk of clinical failure compared with pooled monotherapy in primary analysis set patients (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.72), whereas the effect was less clear in ex-primary analysis set patients (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.37). Overall, primary analysis set patients had fewer clinical failure events (25% vs 33%), higher rates of satisfactory clinical response (34% vs 24%), and lower rates of permanent study drug withdrawal due to adverse events (16% vs 31%) than ex-primary analysis set patients. Conclusions: Efficacy of initial combination therapy vs pooled monotherapy was directionally similar for primary analysis set and ex-primary analysis set patients. However, ex-primary analysis set patients (with multiple risk factors for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction) experienced higher rates of clinical failure events and the response to combination therapy vs monotherapy was attenuated. Tolerability was better in primary analysis set than ex-primary analysis set patients

Randomized Trial of Intravenous Versus Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab in Advanced Ovarian Carcinoma: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of two different intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy regimens on progression-free survival (PFS) among women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to six cycles of IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) once per week with intravenous (IV) carboplatin area under the curve 6 (IV carboplatin) versus IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) once per week with IP carboplatin area under the curve 6 (IP carboplatin) versus once every 3 weeks IV paclitaxel 135 mg/m(2) over 3 hours day 1, IP cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) day 2, and IP paclitaxel 60 mg/m(2) day 8 (IP cisplatin). All participants received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks in cycles 2 to 22. RESULTS: A total of 1,560 participants were enrolled and had 84.8 months of follow-up. The median PFS duration was 24.9 months in the IV carboplatin arm, 27.4 months in the IP carboplatin arm, and 26.2 months in the IP cisplatin arm. For the subgroup of 1,380 patients with stage II/III and residual disease of 1 cm or less, median PFS was 26.9 (IV-carboplatin), 28.7 (IP-carboplatin), and 27.8 months (IP cisplatin), respectively. Median PFS for patients with stage II/III and no residual disease was 35.9, 38.8, and 35.5 months, respectively. Median overall survival for all enrolled was 75.5, 78.9, and 72.9 months, respectively, and median overall survival for stage II/III with no gross residual disease was 98.8 months, 104.8 months, and not reached. Mean patient-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy neurotoxicity scores (Gynecologic Oncology Group) were similar for all arms, but the mean Trial Outcome Index of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovary scores during chemotherapy were statistically worse in the IP cisplatin arm. CONCLUSION: Compared with the IV carboplatin reference arm, the duration of PFS was not significantly increased with either IP regimen when combined with bevacizumab and was better tolerated than IP cisplatin.National Cancer Institute (NCI) [U10 CA180822, U10 CA180868]; NCI [UG1 CA189867]; NSC [704865]; IND [7921]6 month embargo; published online 19 April 2019This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Characteristics and outcome of infants with candiduria in neonatal intensive care - a Paediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is limited information in the literature on the presentation and prognosis of candidal urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a prospective cohort study performed in 13 Canadian NICUs. Infants with candidal UTI without extra-renal candidal infection at presentation were enrolled.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty infants fit the study criteria. Median birth weight and gestational age were 2595 grams (range 575-4255) and 35 weeks (range 24-41) with 10 infants being < 30 weeks gestation. The most common primary underlying diagnosis was congenital heart disease (n = 10). The median age at initial diagnosis was 16 days (range 6-84 days). Renal ultrasonography findings were compatible with possible fungal disease in 15 of the 26 infants (58%) in whom it was performed. Treatment was variable, but fluconazole and either amphotericin B deoxycholate or lipid-based amphotericin B in combination or sequentially were used most frequently. Extra-renal candidiasis subsequently developed in 4 infants. In 2 of these 4 infants, dissemination happened during prolonged courses of anti-fungal therapy. Three of 9 deaths were considered to be related to candidal infection. No recurrences of candiduria or episodes of invasive candidiasis following treatment were documented.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Candidal UTI in the NICU population occurs both in term infants with congenital abnormalities and in preterm infants, and is associated with renal parenchymal disease and extra-renal dissemination. A wide variation in clinical approach was documented in this multicenter study. The overall mortality rate in these infants was significant (30%). In one third of the deaths, <it>Candida </it>infection was deemed to be a contributing factor, suggesting the need for antifungal therapy with repeat evaluation for dissemination in infants who are slow to respond to therapy.</p