Transformative Learning and Pedagogical Approaches in Education for Sustainable Development: Are Initial Teacher Education Programmes in England and Turkey Ready for Creating Agents of Change for Sustainability?

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a feature of academic and policy debates within initial teacher education around the world. A theme within these debates is the extent to which ESD is more than just a body of knowledge, and if it suggests different pedagogical approaches which may be prevalent in most countries. Another feature of these debates is whether ESD can be seen as suggesting a transformative approach as opposed to a transmissive approach. As a qualitative study, using examples from research and evidence gathered in England and Turkey through document analysis, this article identifies both the opportunities and challenges for teacher education courses using ESD as a means for promoting a distinctive pedagogical approach and whether they can be seen as posing transformative learning

A promising new device for the prevention of parastomal hernia.

Parastomal hernia (PSH) is the most frequent long-term stoma complication with serious negative effects on quality of life. Surgical revision is often required and has a substantial morbidity and recurrence rate. The development of PSH requires revisional surgery with a substantial perioperative morbidity and high failure rate in the long-term follow-up. Prophylactic parastomal mesh insertion during stoma creation has the potential to reduce the rate of PSH, but carries the risk of early and late mesh-related complications such as infection, fibrosis, mesh shrinkage, and/or bowel erosion. We developed a new stomaplasty ring (KORING), which is easy to implant, avoids potential mesh-related complications, and has a high potential of long-term prevention of PSH. Here we describe the technique and the first use

Türkiye'de yetiştirilen Ankara Keçisi (Capra hircus) ırkında bir sitogenetik çalışma

Ankara Keçi ırkı Türkiye yerli hayvan genetik kaynakları acısından önemli rol oynamasına karşın bu ırkla ilgili kapsamlı bir sitogenetik çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Sunulan ön sitogenetik çalışma ırkın temel kromozomal yapısını araştırmak ve populasyon düzeyinde sitogenetik çalışmalara başlangıç yapmayı amaçlamaktadır. Kan kültürleri hem geleneksel metoda göre ve hem de Timidin metoduna göre düzenlenmiştir. Geleneksel ve GTG-RBA-RBG band karyotipleri elde edilerek ırkın kromozomlarının sentromer indeksleri belirlenmiştir. Band modeli karşılaştırmaları Ankara keçi ırkının keçi türü için standardize edilmiş RBA-RBG band modeli ile benzerliğini doğrulamıştır. Bu çalışma sonucunda Ankara keçisi ırkında populasyon düzeyinde sayısal ve yapısal kromozom anomalilerinin taşıyıcılarının tanımlanması, ırkın verim özeliklerinin geliştirilmesinde daha ileri düzeyde sitogenetik çalışmalara ihtiyaç duyulduğu değerlendirilmiştir.The Angora breed of goat plays an important role for the Turkiye's Native Animal genetic resources point of view; nevertheless, so far, no comprehensive cytogenetic investigation has been performed on this important economic breed. The present preliminary cytogenetic study has been conducted upon a sample of Angora goat breed reared in Turkiye in order to ascertain the basic chromosomal status of the breed and to start a cytogenetic screening at a population level. Blood cultures have been noted according to the conventional methods and synchronized with thymidine. Conventional and GTG-RBA-RBG-banded karyotypes have been produced to determine the relative length and centromeric index of the chromosomes of the breed. Banding comparison confirmed similarity of the Angora breed of goat with the established standardized RBA-RBG banding a pattern of the goat species. Further cytogenetic studies should now be addressed at a population level to identify carriers of numerical and/or structural chromosomal abnormalities in the Angora breed population for implementation of its productive and reproductive efficiency

The presence of programmed death 1 (PD-1)-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is associated with poor prognosis in human breast cancer

Programmed death 1 (PD-1) is a co-inhibitory receptor in the CD28/CTL-4 family, and functions as a negative regulator of the immune system. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in many epithelial cancers express PD-1, suggesting that antitumor immunity may be modulated by the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway, and promising results from two recent clinical trials with monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 confirm the clinical relevance of this pathway in human cancer. To explore the role of PD-1+ TIL in human breast cancer, we performed immunohistochemistry studies on a tissue microarray encompassing 660 breast cancer cases with detailed clinical annotation and outcomes data. PD-1+ TIL were present in 104 (15.8%) of the 660 breast cancer cases. Their presence was associated with tumor size, grade, and lymph node status, and was differentially associated with the intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer. In univariate survival analyses, the presence of PD-1+ TIL was associated with a significantly worse overall survival (HR=2.736, p<0.001). In subset analyses, the presence of PD-1+ TIL was associated with significantly worse overall survival in the luminal B HER2− subtype (HR=2.678, p<0.001), the luminal B HER2+ subtype (HR=3.689, p<0.001), and the basal-like subtype (HR=3.140, p<0.001). This is the first study to demonstrate that the presence of PD-1+ TIL is associated with poor prognosis in human breast cancer, with important implications for the potential application of antibody therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway in this diseas

PTP1B expression is an independent positive prognostic factor in human breast cancer

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a non-transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase that has come into focus as a critical regulator of multiple signaling pathways. The role of PTP1B in breast cancer remains unclear with evidence suggesting that PTP1B can exert both tumor-suppressing and tumor-promoting effects. To better define the role of PTP1B in human breast cancer, and its relationship with HER2, we performed immunohistochemical studies on a large cohort of functionally annotated primary breast cancer specimens. 683 of 1,402 (49%) evaluable primary breast cancers are positive for PTP1B. There is no statistically significant association between PTP1B expression and age, tumor size, T stage, histologic grade, lymph node status, or histological subtype. Of note, there is no significant association between PTP1B expression and HER2 expression (PTP1B expression53.1% in HER2+ cancers vs. 47.5% in HER2− cancers, p=0.0985). However, PTP1B expression is significantly associated with estrogen receptor expression (PTP1B expression50.7% in ER+ cancers vs. 43.1% in ER− cancers, p=0.0137) and intrinsic molecular subtype (PTP1B expression53.9% in the luminal B HER2+ subtype and 37.9% in the basal-like subtype). Of note, multivariate analyses demonstrate that PTP1B is an independent predictor of improved survival in breast cancer (HR 0.779, p=0.006). Taken together, we demonstrate in the largest study to date that (1) PTP1B is commonly expressed in breast cancer, (2) there is no association or functional impact of PTP1B expression in HER2+ breast cancer, and (3) PTP1B expression in breast cancer is associated with significantly improved clinical outcome. Until additional studies are performed, caution should be exercised in using PTP1B inhibitors in human breast cance

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Well-Being of Caregivers of People with Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the psychological well-being of caregivers of people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (PwD/MCI). Electronic databases were searched from inception to August 2022 for observational studies investigating the COVID-19 lockdown and psychological well-being of caregivers of PwD/MCI. Summary estimates of standardized mean differences (SMD) in psychological well-being scores pre- versus during COVID-19 were calculated using a random-effects model. Fifteen studies including 1702 caregivers (65.7% female, mean age 60.40 ± 12.9 years) with PwD/MCI were evaluated. Five studies found no change in psychological well-being parameters, including depression, anxiety, distress, caregiver burden, and quality of life. Ten studies found a worsening in at least one parameter: depression (six studies, n = 1368; SMD = 0.40; 95%CI: 0.09–0.71; p = 0.01, I2 = 86.8%), anxiety (seven studies, n = 1569; SMD = 1.35; 95%CI: 0.05–2.65; I2 = 99.2%), caregiver distress (six studies, n = 1320, SMD = 3.190; 95%CI: 1.42–4.95; p &lt; 0.0001; I2 = 99.4%), and caregiver burden (four studies, n = 852, SMD = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.13–0.56; p = 0.001; I2 = 54.1%) (p &lt; 0.05). There was an increase in depression, anxiety, caregiver burden, and distress in caregivers of PwD/MCI during the lockdown in the COVID pandemic. This could have longer term consequences, and it is essential that caregivers’ psychological well-being is assessed and supported, to benefit both themselves and those for whom they care

The Ethnic 'Other' in Ukrainian History Textbooks: The Case of Russia and the Russians

This paper examines portrayals of Russia and the Russians in two generations of Ukrainian history textbooks. It observes that the textbooks are highly condemning of Ukraine's main ethnic other in the guise of foreign ruler: the tsarist authorities and the Soviet regime are always attributed dubious and malicious intentions even if there is appreciation for some of their policies. By contrast, the books, certainly those of the second generation, refrain from presenting highly biased accounts of the ethnic other as a national group (i.e. Russians). Instances where negative judgements do fall onto Russians are counterbalanced by excerpts criticizing ethnic Ukrainians or highlighting conflicting interests within the Ukrainian ethnic group. The negative appraisal of the ethnic other as foreign ruler is clearly instrumental for the nation-building project as it sustains a discourse legitimating the existence of Ukraine as independent state. However, recent trends in history education, the paper concludes, suggest that the importance of nurturing patriotism as a national policy objective is diminishing

‘Dominant ethnicity’ and the ‘ethnic-civic’ dichotomy in the work of A. D. Smith

This article considers the way in which the work of Anthony Smith has helped to structure debates surrounding the role of ethnicity in present-day nations. Two major lines of enquiry are evident here. First, the contemporary role of dominant ethnic groups within 'their' nations and second, the interplay between ethnic and civic elements in nationalist argument. The two processes are related, but maintain elements of distinctiveness. Smith's major contribution to the dominant ethnicity debate has been to disembed ethnicity from the ideologically-charged and/or anglo-centric discourse of ethnic relations and to place it in historical context, thereby opening up space for dominant group ethnicity to be considered as a distinct phenomenon. This said, Smith's work does not adequately account for the vicissitudes of dominant ethnicity in the contemporary West. Building on the classical works of Hans Kohn and Friedrich Meinecke, Anthony Smith has also made a seminal contribution to the debate on civic and ethnic forms of national identity and nationalist ideology. As well as freeing this debate from the strong normative overtones which it has often carried, he has continued to insist that the terms civic and ethnic should be treated as an ideal-typical distinction rather than a scheme of classification

In Vitro Modeling of Tumor-Immune System Interaction.

Immunotherapy has emerged during the past two decades as an innovative and successful form of cancer treatment. However, frequently, mechanisms of actions are still unclear, predictive markers are insufficiently characterized, and preclinical assays for innovative treatments are poorly reliable. In this context, the analysis of tumor/immune system interaction plays key roles, but may be unreliably mirrored by in vivo experimental models and standard bidimensional culture systems. Tridimensional cultures of tumor cells have been developed to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo systems. Interestingly, defined aspects of the interaction of cells from adaptive and innate immune systems and tumor cells may also be mirrored by 3D cultures. Here we review in vitro models of cancer/immune cell interaction and we propose that updated technologies might help develop innovative treatments, identify biologicals of potential clinical relevance, and select patients eligible for immunotherapy treatments