Adapting a Curriculum Unit to Facilitate Interaction Between Technology, Mathematics and Science in the Elementary Classroom: Identifying Relevant Criteria

Calls for the integration of subjects continue to emanate from a wide range of professional bodies, including governments and subject associations. Yet as some authors suggest, blurring the boundaries between subjects may be one of the most daunting tasks educators face. The authors have recently begun a research study that will investigate the extent to which (a) relevant mathematics and science can be made explicit in a technology curriculum unit, (b) pupils utilise this mathematics and science learning, and (c) pupils' ability to design is enhanced by making the mathematics and science explicit and useful. This paper reports the results of Phase 1 of the study: an examination of research literature in order to identify criteria to inform the re-writing of an existing technology curriculum (to be used as a research instrument) that previously did not make explicit embedded mathematics and science concepts. Our reading of the literature has identified two essential criteria that must be met during the re-writing: (a) protecting the integrity of the subjects and (b) identifying the nature and purpose of the intended learning

The prognostic significance of minimal residual disease in adult Egyptian patients with precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

AbstractBackgroundMinimal residual disease (MRD) studies in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) give highly significant prognostic information superior to other standard criteria as age, gender and total leucocytic count (TLC) in distinguishing patients at high and low risk of relapse.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the value of MRD monitoring by flowcytometry (FCM) in predicting outcome in adult Precursor ALL patients.Patients and methodsBone marrow (BM) samples were analyzed by 4-color FCM collected at diagnosis and after induction therapy (MRD1) to correlate MRD positivity with disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsStudy included 57 adult ALL patients (44 males and 13 females) with a median age of 22years (18–49). DFS showed no significant difference with age, gender and initial TLC (p=0.838, 0.888 and 0.743, respectively). Cumulative DFS at 2years was 34% for B-lineage ALL (n: 35) and 57% for T-lineage ALL (n: 18) (p=0.057). Cumulative DFS at 2years was 7% for MRD1 positive (high risk, HR) versus 57% for MRD1 negative patients (Low risk, LR) (p<0.001). Cumulative DFS at 2years was 29% for HR patients (n: 26) versus 55% for LR (n: 27) according to GMALL classification (p=0.064). Cumulative OS did not differ according to age, gender and TLC (p=0.526, 0.594 and 0.513, respectively). Cumulative OS at 2years was 36% for B ALL (n: 39) versus 77% for TALL (n: 18) (p=0.016) and was 49% for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) negative patients versus 0% for Ph-positive patients (p<0.001). Regarding MRD1, OS at 2years was 18% for MRD1 HR (n: 17) versus 65% for MRD1 LR (n: 38) (p<0.001). OS was 35% for high-risk patients (n: 30) and 62% for low-risk patients (n: 27) classified according to GMALL risk stratification (p=0.017).ConclusionMRD by FCM is a strong independent predictor of outcome in terms of DFS and OS and is a powerful informative parameter in guiding individual treatment in ALL patients

Role of cancer antigen 125 in active pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Conventional TB diagnosis continues to rely on smear microscopy, culture and chest radiography. Other non-conventional approaches include detection of immunological response and the search for biochemical markers. Cancer antigen 125 (Ca-125) was evaluated mainly in patients with extra pulmonary TB. Objective: This study was designed to detect the role of Ca-125 in differentiating pulmonary tuberculosis from other pulmonary infections. Also to determine the value of Ca-125 was an indicator of response to anti-tuberculous drugs. Design: Eighty patients were included in the study, 27 with active pulmonary TB and 33 with other pulmonary infections. Twenty healthy volunteers were used as a control group. Measurement of serum Ca-125 was performed once in all groups, it was re-assayed after 4 months of anti-tuberculous drugs among patients with active pulmonary TB. Results: There was a significant increase of Ca-125 among patients with active pulmonary TB than the other groups, which decrease significantly after anti-tuberculous drugs. The sensitivity and specificity of Ca-125 were found to be 81.4% and 95%, respectively, at a 34.6 U/ml cut-off point. Conclusion: Ca-125 can be a useful marker in differentiating pulmonary TB from other pulmonary infections and in assessment the response to anti-tuberculoussis drugs