Συνεργασία και επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη εκπαιδευτικών στην Κοινότητα Μάθησης Στάσεις και αντιλήψεις εκπαιδευτικών Δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης Νομού Αττικής

Στη σύγχρονη εποχή της μετανεωτερικότητας, της παγκοσμιοποίησης, της επικυριαρχίας του νεοφιλελευθερισμού, η κοινωνία έρχεται αντιμέτωπη με πολλαπλές προκλήσεις και συχνά επισφαλείς καταστάσεις και αβεβαιότητες σε όλους τους τομείς της ζωής (risk societies). Ειδικότερα, στο διεθνές εκπαιδευτικό τοπίο «ηγεμονεύουν» έννοιες όπως κοινωνία της γνώσης, ανταγωνιστικότητα, διακυβέρνηση του εαυτού (governance of the self), επιτελεστικότητα (performativity), κυβερνησιμότητα (governmentality) καταδεικνύοντας εμφατικά ότι η γνώση αποτελεί ένα μετρήσιμο προϊόν και γι΄ αυτό ανταγωνιστικό. Ο εκπαιδευτικός προσδιορίζεται με βάση ικανοκεντρικά και μετρήσιμα μοντέλα και η έννοια της δια βίου μάθησης και επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης αποτελεί γι’ αυτόν αξιολογικό πρόταγμα. Μελετώντας το πλαίσιο που διαμορφώνουν οι παραπάνω συνθήκες, επιχειρείται η προσέγγιση της έννοιας τoυ σχολείου ως «οργανισμού και κοινότητας μάθησης», ως διακριτού και συγκροτημένου εναλλακτικού παραδείγματος μέσα από τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Εξετάζεται ο τρόπος με τον οποίο η δημιουργία μιας ισχυρής κοινότητας μάθησης, η οποία ερείδεται σ΄ έναν ισχυρό αξιακό κώδικα, στη συνεργασία και στην εστίαση στη μάθηση, μπορεί να συμβάλλει στο κυρίαρχο ζητούμενο της εποχής, «μάθηση για όλους» στα όρια μιας «ολοκληρωτικά παιδαγωγούμενης κοινωνίας». Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, ο εκπαιδευτικός δεν πορεύεται αυτόνομα, δεν δρα «ατομικά», αλλά εμπλέκεται σε συνεργατικές πρακτικές και καθίσταται ατομικά υπόλογος και συλλογικά συνυπεύθυνος για την ποιότητα του εκπαιδευτικού έργου. Η έρευνα καταγράφει επίσης, τη σημασία της ηγεσίας για τη μάθηση στη στήριξη της επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης του εκπαιδευτικού και της ενίσχυσης των συνεργατικών πρακτικών. Διερευνάται παράλληλα, η συμβολή της ανάπτυξης συγκεκριμένων προδιαθέσεων και «επαγγελματικών δεξιοτήτων», συνεργατικών, αναστοχαστικών, διαπροσωπικών, στην προώθηση της μάθησης για όλους και την επαγγελματική συνανάπτυξη των εκπαιδευτικών της κοινότητας, μέσα σε ένα καθεστώς υψηλής δέσμευσης με αυξημένα επίπεδα συνεργασίας και αλληλεπίδρασης. Τα αποτελέσματα αναδεικνύουν την ουσιαστική συμβολή πρακτικών αυτοαξιολόγησης και αξιολόγησης ομοτέχνων, με σκοπό τη βελτίωση της ποιότητας του εκπαιδευτικού έργου και την ενίσχυση της επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης των εκπαιδευτικών.In the current age of postmodernism, globalization and the supremacy of neoliberalism, society is faced with multiple challenges and often precarious situations and uncertainties in all areas of life (risk societies). In the international educational landscape in particular, concepts such as knowledge society, competitiveness, governance of the self, governance, performativity and governmentality "dominate", emphatically demonstrating that knowledge is a measurable product and therefore competitive. The teacher is identified based on satisfactory and measurable models and the concept of lifelong learning and professional development are valuable projects to pursue. By studying the context formed by the above conditions, an attempt is made to approach the concept of the school as a "learning organization and community" as a distinct and structured alternative example through the international literature. This thesis examines how the creation of a strong learning community, based on a strong code of values, collaboration and a focus on learning, can contribute to the prevailing demand of the time, "learning for all" on the verge of a "total of educated society ". In this context, the teacher does not act autonomously, does not act "individually", but is involved in collaborative practices and becomes individually accountable and collectively co-responsible for the quality of educational work. The research also highlights the importance of leadership for learning in supporting teacher professional development and enhancing collaborative practices. This paper also aims to explore specific dispositions, professional skills, collaboration, reflective practice, and interpersonal skills in regimes with high commitment and increasing levels of cooperation. Findings point to the fundamental importance of school-based self and peer assessment in order to improve the quality of educational work and enhance the professional development of teachers

Granulocyte-targeted therapies for airway diseases

The average respiration rate for an adult is 12–20 breaths per minute, which constantly exposes the lungs to allergens and harmful particles. As a result, respiratory diseases, which includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute lower respiratory tract infections (LTRI), are a major cause of death worldwide. Although asthma, COPD and LTRI are distinctly different diseases with separate mechanisms of disease progression, they do share a common feature – airway inflammation with intense recruitment and activation of granulocytes and mast cells. Neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells are crucial players in host defense against pathogens and maintenance of lung homeostasis. Upon contact with harmful particles, part of the pulmonary defense mechanism is to recruit these cells into the airways. Despite their protective nature, overactivation or accumulation of granulocytes and mast cells in the lungs results in unwanted chronic airway inflammation and damage. As such, understanding the bright and the dark side of these leukocytes in lung physiology paves the way for the development of therapies targeting this important mechanism of disease. Here we discuss the role of granulocytes in respiratory diseases and summarize therapeutic strategies focused on granulocyte recruitment and activation in the lungs

5-ht inhibition of rat insulin 2 promoter cre recombinase transgene and proopiomelanocortin neuron excitability in the mouse arcuate nucleus

A number of anti-obesity agents have been developed that enhance hypothalamic 5-HT transmission. Various studies have demonstrated that arcuate neurons, which express proopiomelanocortin peptides (POMC neurons), and neuropeptide Y with agouti-related protein (NPY/AgRP) neurons, are components of the hypothalamic circuits responsible for energy homeostasis. An additional arcuate neuron population, rat insulin 2 promoter Cre recombinase transgene (RIPCre) neurons, has recently been implicated in hypothalamic melanocortin circuits involved in energy balance. It is currently unclear how 5-HT modifies neuron excitability in these local arcuate neuronal circuits. We show that 5-HT alters the excitability of the majority of mouse arcuate RIPCre neurons, by either hyperpolarization and inhibition or depolarization and excitation. RIPCre neurons sensitive to 5-HT, predominantly exhibit hyperpolarization and pharmacological studies indicate that inhibition of neuronal firing is likely to be through 5-HT1F receptors increasing current through a voltage-dependent potassium conductance. Indeed, 5-HT1F receptor immunoreactivity co-localizes with RIPCre green fluorescent protein expression. A minority population of POMC neurons also respond to 5-HT by hyperpolarization, and this appears to be mediated by the same receptor-channel mechanism. As neither POMC nor RIPCre neuronal populations display a common electrical response to 5-HT, this may indicate that sub-divisions of POMC and RIPCre neurons exist, perhaps serving different outputs

Global Warming Will Bring New Fungal Diseases for Mammals

Fungi are major pathogens of plants, other fungi, rotifers, insects, and amphibians, but relatively few cause disease in mammals. Fungi became important human pathogens only in the late 20th century, primarily in hosts with impaired immunity as a consequence of medical interventions or HIV infection. The relatively high resistance of mammals has been attributed to a combination of a complex immune system and endothermy. Mammals maintain high body temperatures relative to environmental temperatures, creating a thermally restrictive ambient for the majority of fungi. According to this view, protection given by endothermy requires a temperature gradient between those of mammals and the environment. We hypothesize that global warming will increase the prevalence of fungal diseases in mammals by two mechanisms: (i) increasing the geographic range of currently pathogenic species and (ii) selecting for adaptive thermotolerance for species with significant pathogenic potential but currently not pathogenic by virtue of being restricted by mammalian temperatures

Granulocyte-targeted therapies for airway diseases

The average respiration rate for an adult is 12-20 breaths per minute, which constantly exposes the lungs to allergens and harmful particles. As a result, respiratory diseases, which includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute lower respiratory tract infections (LTRI), are a major cause of death worldwide. Although asthma, COPD and LTRI are distinctly different diseases with separate mechanisms of disease progression, they do share a common feature – airway inflammation with intense recruitment and activation of granulocytes and mast cells. Neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells are crucial players in host defense against pathogens and maintenance of lung homeostasis. Upon contact with harmful particles, part of the pulmonary defense mechanism is to recruit these cells into the airways. Despite their protective nature, overactivation or accumulation of granulocytes and mast cells in the lungs results in unwanted chronic airway inflammation and damage. As such, understanding the bright and the dark side of these leukocytes in lung physiology paves the way for the development of therapies targeting this important mechanism of disease. Here we discuss the role of granulocytes in respiratory diseases and summarize therapeutic strategies focused on granulocyte recruitment and activation in the lungs

Central Serotonin and Melanocortin Pathways Regulating Energy Homeostasis

It is now established that the hypothalamus is essential in coordinating endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to changes in energy availability. However, the interaction of key peptides, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters systems within the hypothalamus has yet to be delineated. Recently, we investigated the mechanisms through which serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) systems recruit leptin-responsive hypothalamic pathways, such as the melanocortin systems, to affect energy balance. Through a combination of functional neuroanatomy, feeding, and electrophysiology studies in rodents, we found that 5-HT drugs require functional melanocortin pathways to exert their effects on food intake. Specifically, we observed that anorectic 5-HT drugs activate pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (Arc). We provide evidence that the serotonin 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) is expressed on POMC neurons and contributes to this effect. Finally, we found that 5-HT drug-induced hypophagia is attenuated by pharmalogical or genetic blockade of downstream melanocortin 3 and 4 receptors. We review candidate brain regions expressing melanocortin 3 and 4 receptors that play a role in energy balance. A model is presented in which the activation of the melanocortin system is downstream of 5-HT and is necessary to produce the complete anorectic effect of 5-HT drugs. The data reviewed in this paper incorporate the central 5-HT system to the growing list of metabolic signals that converge on melanocortin neurons in the hypothalamus

Evaluation of the current knowledge limitations in breast cancer research: a gap analysis

BACKGROUND A gap analysis was conducted to determine which areas of breast cancer research, if targeted by researchers and funding bodies, could produce the greatest impact on patients. METHODS Fifty-six Breast Cancer Campaign grant holders and prominent UK breast cancer researchers participated in a gap analysis of current breast cancer research. Before, during and following the meeting, groups in seven key research areas participated in cycles of presentation, literature review and discussion. Summary papers were prepared by each group and collated into this position paper highlighting the research gaps, with recommendations for action. RESULTS Gaps were identified in all seven themes. General barriers to progress were lack of financial and practical resources, and poor collaboration between disciplines. Critical gaps in each theme included: (1) genetics (knowledge of genetic changes, their effects and interactions); (2) initiation of breast cancer (how developmental signalling pathways cause ductal elongation and branching at the cellular level and influence stem cell dynamics, and how their disruption initiates tumour formation); (3) progression of breast cancer (deciphering the intracellular and extracellular regulators of early progression, tumour growth, angiogenesis and metastasis); (4) therapies and targets (understanding who develops advanced disease); (5) disease markers (incorporating intelligent trial design into all studies to ensure new treatments are tested in patient groups stratified using biomarkers); (6) prevention (strategies to prevent oestrogen-receptor negative tumours and the long-term effects of chemoprevention for oestrogen-receptor positive tumours); (7) psychosocial aspects of cancer (the use of appropriate psychosocial interventions, and the personal impact of all stages of the disease among patients from a range of ethnic and demographic backgrounds). CONCLUSION Through recommendations to address these gaps with future research, the long-term benefits to patients will include: better estimation of risk in families with breast cancer and strategies to reduce risk; better prediction of drug response and patient prognosis; improved tailoring of treatments to patient subgroups and development of new therapeutic approaches; earlier initiation of treatment; more effective use of resources for screening populations; and an enhanced experience for people with or at risk of breast cancer and their families. The challenge to funding bodies and researchers in all disciplines is to focus on these gaps and to drive advances in knowledge into improvements in patient care

Modulation of metabolic activity of phagocytes by antihistamines

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of H1-antihistamines of the 1st generation (antazoline, bromadryl, brompheniramine, dithiaden, cyclizine, chlorcyclizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine) and the 2nd generation (acrivastine, ketotifen, and loratadine) on the respiratory burst of phagocytes. Reactive oxygen species generation in neutrophils isolated from rat blood was measured using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. Changes in nitrite formation and iNOS protein expression by RAW 264.7 macrophages were analysed using Griess reaction and Western blotting. The antioxidative properties of drugs in cell-free systems were detected spectrophotometrically, luminometrically, fluorimetrically, and amperometrically. The majority of the H1-antihistamines tested (bromadryl, brompheniramine, chlorcyclizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, dithiaden, and ketotifen) exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the chemiluminescence activity of phagocytes. H1-antihistamines did not show significant scavenging properties against superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, thus this could not contribute to the inhibition of chemiluminescence. H1-antihistamines had a different ability to modulate nitric oxide production by LPS-stimulated macrophages. Bromadryl, clemastine, and dithiaden were the most effective since they inhibited iNOS expression, which was followed by a significant reduction in nitrite levels. H1-antihistamines had no scavenging activity against nitric oxide. It can be concluded that the effects observed in the H1-antihistamines tested are not mediated exclusively via H1-receptor pathway or by direct antioxidative properties. Based on our results, antihistamines not interfering with the microbicidal mechanisms of leukocytes (antazoline, acrivastine and cyclizine) could be used preferentially in infections. Other antihistamines should be used, under pathological conditions accompanied by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species