A survey of methods, procedures, and materials used for teaching critical thinking in a selected school system

This study centers on the teaching of critical thinking and the extent to which it is emphasized by some educators. Literature reveals that it has been of concern in the past and that interest in it seems to be increasing, especially since the 1960s. Critical thinking is defined as the use of basic thought processes to solve problems, analyze arguments, and generate insight into specific meanings and interpretations. The study investigates experiences, activities, and materials that instructors in a selected public school system use for the purpose of teaching critical thinking in social studies classes. Within the study seven questions are addressed. They center upon how social studies teachers define critical thinking, skills believed to enhance critical thinking, components of critical thinking skills emphasized, activities used to stimulate or to develop critical thinking, the utilization of experiences outside the classroom to encourage critical thinking, the extent to which textbooks and other instructional material emphasize critical thinking, and how the teachers test for evidence of critical thinking

Parents’ participation in child protection practice: toward respect and inclusion

In this article, we focus on parents' opportunities for, and experiences of, participation in child protection decision making in Queensland, Australia. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of 10 interviews with parents who have children 0-8 years of age and who have been subject to child protection investigation, we examine parents' perceptions of the process. Parents reported a range of difficulties in interactions with practitioners, Including family-related and systemic factors; the most common grievances Involved poor communication practices and negative worker attitudes, which created further disengagement. Conversely, interactions involving a willingness to listen, support, and provide for goal-focused plans were seen as faCilitating positive outcomes. Taking into account the case complexity and Interrelationships between workers' and clients' atfltudes and behaViours, we discuss strategies for promoflng parents' participation

Polymer microparticles with defined surface chemistry and topography mediate the formation of stem cell aggregates and cardiomyocyte function

Surface-functionalized microparticles are relevant to fields spanning engineering and biomedicine, with uses ranging from cell culture to advanced cell delivery. Varying topographies of biomaterial surfaces are also being investigated as mediators of cell-material interactions and subsequent cell fate. To investigate competing or synergistic effects of chemistry and topography in three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures, methods are required to introduce these onto microparticles without modification of their underlying mor-phology or bulk properties. In this study, a new approach for surface functionalization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microparticles is reported that allows decoration of the outer shell of the polyesters with additional polymers via aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) routes. PLA microparticles with smooth or dimpled surfaces were functionalized with poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (pPEG-MA) and poly[N-(3-aminopropyl)methacrylamide] (pAPMA) brushes, chosen for their potential abilities to mediate cell adhesion. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analysis indicated homogeneous coverage of the microparticles with pol-ymer brushes while maintaining the original topographies. These materials were used to investigate the relative importance of surface chemistry and topography both on the formation of human immortalized mesenchymal stem cell (hiMSCs) particle-cell aggregates and on the enhanced contractility of cardiomyo-cytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs). The influence of surface chemis-try was found to be more important on the size of particle-cell aggregates than topographies. In addition, surface chemistries that best promoted hiMSC attachment also improved hiPSC-CM attachment and con-tractility. These studies demonstrated a new route to obtain topo-chemical combinations on polyester-based biomaterials, and provided clear evidence for the predominant effect of surface functionality over micron-scale dimpled topography in cell-microparticle interactions. These findings thus provide new guiding principles for the design of biomaterial interfaces to direct cell function

Acute Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus due to Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Rare Emergency Easily Overlooked

Acute intrathoracic gastric volvulus occurs when the stomach undergoes organoaxial torsion in the chest due to either concomitant enlargement of the hiatus or a diaphragmatic hernia. Iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia can occur after hiatal hernia repair and other surgical procedures, such as nephrectomy, esophagogastrectomy and splenopancreatectomy. We describe a 49-year-old woman who presented to our emergency department with acute moderate epigastric soreness and vomiting. She had undergone extensive gynecologic surgery including splenectomy 1 year before. The chest radiograph obtained in the emergency department demonstrated an elevated gastric air-fluid level in the left lower lung field. An urgent gastroscopy showed twisted structural abnormality of the stomach body. A computed tomography scan demonstrated the distended stomach, located in the left lower hemithorax through a left diaphragmatic defect. Emergent transthoracic repair was performed. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient did not experience any pain or difficulty with eating

Safety of zoledronic acid and incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) during adjuvant therapy in a randomised phase III trial (AZURE: BIG 01-04) for women with stage II/III breast cancer

The AZURE trial is an ongoing phase III, academic, multi-centre, randomised trial designed to evaluate the role of zoledronic acid (ZOL) in the adjuvant therapy of women with stage II/III breast cancer. Here, we report the safety and tolerability profile of ZOL in this setting. Eligible patients received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy and were randomised to receive neither additional treatment nor intravenous ZOL 4 mg. ZOL was administered after each chemotherapy cycle to exploit potential sequence-dependent synergy. ZOL was continued for 60 months post-randomisation (six doses in the first 6 months, eight doses in the following 24 months and five doses in the final 30 months). Serious (SAE) and non-serious adverse event (AE) data generated during the first 36 months on study were analysed for the safety population. 3,360 patients were recruited to the AZURE trial. The safety population comprised 3,340 patients (ZOL 1,665; control 1,675). The addition of ZOL to standard treatment did not significantly impact on chemotherapy delivery. SAE were similar in both treatment arms. No significant safety differences were seen apart from the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in the ZOL group (11 confirmed cases; 0.7%; 95% confidence interval 0.3–1.1%). ZOL in the adjuvant setting is well tolerated, and can be safely administered in addition to adjuvant therapy including chemotherapy. The adverse events were consistent with the known safety profile of ZOL, with a low incidence of ONJ

Writing in Britain and Ireland, c. 400 to c. 800

No abstract available

The effects of adding zoledronic acid to neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumour response: exploratory evidence for direct anti-tumour activity in breast cancer

Background: Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated synergistic anti-tumour effects of chemotherapy (CT) and zoledronic acid (ZOL). Within the AZURE trial, designed to determine whether the addition of ZOL to neoadjuvant therapy improves disease outcomes, a subgroup received neoadjuvant CT. We report a retrospective evaluation comparing pathological response in the primary tumour between treatment groups. Methods: In total, 205 patients received neoadjuvant CT±ZOL (CT+ZOL, n=102; CT, n=103). The primary end point was pathologically assessed residual invasive tumour size (RITS) at surgery. Secondary end points were pathological complete response (pCR) rate and axillary nodal involvement. Following review of surgical pathology reports (n=195), outcome differences between groups were assessed adjusting for potential response modifiers. Results: Baseline characteristics and CT treatments were similar. In multivariate analysis, allowing for biological and clinical factors known to influence tumour response, the adjusted mean RITS in CT and CT+ZOL groups were 27.4 and 15.5 mm, respectively, giving a difference in means of 12 mm (95% confidence interval: 3.5–20.4 mm; P=0.006). The pCR rate was 6.9% in the CT group and 11.7% in the CT+ZOL group (P=0.146). There was no difference in axillary nodal involvement (P=0.6315). Conclusion: These data suggest a possible direct anti-tumour effect of ZOL in combination with CT, warranting formal evaluation in prospective studies

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente