STEAM Lessons from the Forest: Ingenuity, Instruments and Autonomy

This article discusses a case study of an environmental art camp that was modeled after choice-based pedagogies. At this camp the children were able to choose their activities, and taught how to think and work like an artist/scientist using a sketch/field book as a guiding instrument for their inquiry and empowerment. What was found was that three pillars of empowerment formed a foundational structure consisting of three interrelated factors that inspired the campers: 1) ingenuity, 2) a useful instrument, and 3) autonomy. Cultivating the artist/scientist habits gave the students the ingenuity or practical knowledge and understanding of how the roles intersect and are interrelated

STEAM Education Afterschool and Summer Learning

This article discusses the potential of STEAM education in afterschool and summer learning programs. The author suggests artistic methods and pedagogies that can be implemented in the programs, such as TAB (teaching artistic abilities), art infusion, and Studio Thinking. Challenges are brought forward and essential factors are suggested for STEAM programs. This article outlines STEAM afterschool and summer programs as spaces that invite, encourage and provide a safe learning environment where the students have more freedom to explore and get a deeper understanding of the arts and other disciplines

Towards More Inclusive Mathematics: Opening up the Standards for Mathematical Practice

The authors use the concept of expanding the curriculum to demonstrate how the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice can include a space for kindness within the mathematics classroom. The authors examine current mathematics practice standards and reflect on how personal tenets create a space for teaching mathematical practices framed in kindness

Neutralisation of SARS-CoV-2 by anatomical embalming solutions.

Teaching and learning anatomy by using human cadaveric specimens has been a foundation of medical and biomedical teaching for hundreds of years. Therefore, the majority of institutions that teach topographical anatomy rely on body donation programmes to provide specimens for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of gross anatomy. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to anatomy teaching because of the suspension of donor acceptance at most institutions. This was largely due to concerns about the potential transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the absence of data about the ability of embalming solutions to neutralise the virus. Twenty embalming solutions commonly used in institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland were tested for their ability to neutralise SARS-CoV-2, using an established cytotoxicity assay. All embalming solutions tested neutralised SARS-CoV-2, with the majority of solutions being effective at high-working dilutions. These results suggest that successful embalming with the tested solutions can neutralise the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thereby facilitating the safe resumption of body donation programmes and cadaveric anatomy teaching

Research priorities for mitochondrial disorders: Current landscape and patient and professional views

Primary mitochondrial disorders encompass a wide range of clinical presentations and a spectrum of severity. They currently lack effective disease-modifying therapies and have a high mortality and morbidity rate. It is therefore essential to know that competitively-funded research designed by academics meets core needs of people with mitochondrial disorders and their clinicians. The Priority Setting Partnerships are an established collaborative methodology that brings patients, carers and families, charity representatives and clinicians together to try to establish the most pressing and unanswered research priorities for a particular disease. We developed a web-based questionnaire, requesting all patients affected by primary mitochondrial disease, their carers, and clinicians to pose their research questions. This yielded 709 questions from 147 participants. These were grouped into overarching themes including basic biology, causation, health services, clinical management, social impacts, prognosis, prevention, symptoms, treatment, and psychological impact. Following the removal of 'answered questions' the process resulted in a list of 42 discrete, answerable questions. This was further refined by web-based ranking by the community to 24 questions. These were debated at a face-to-face workshop attended by a diverse range of patients, carers, charity representatives and clinicians to create a definitive 'Top Ten of unanswered research questions for primary mitochondrial disorders'. These Top Ten questions related to understanding biological processes, including triggers of disease onset, mechanisms underlying progression and reasons for differential symptoms between individuals with identical genetic mutations; new treatments; biomarker discovery; psychological support; and optimal management of stroke-like episodes and fatigue

Exploring student nurses' attitudes towards those who are obese and whether these attitudes change following a simulated activity

BACKGROUND: As the prevalence of obesity increases worldwide the field of bariatric medicine has emerged, focussing on the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. People who are obese regularly face bias from healthcare professionals, which can negativity impact on care delivery and patient outcomes. The introduction of bariatric empathy suits into simulated practice may enable student nurses to appreciate the needs of, and influence their attitudes towards, obese people. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore student nurses' attitudes towards those who are obese and whether these attitudes change following a simulated activity. DESIGN: A mixed methods study incorporating a pre-post design. SETTING: A UK university which provides pre-registration nursing education. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing students in part 1 (n = 39) and part 2 (n = 29) in adult and mental health fields. METHODS: Part 1 and 2 nursing students completed the "Nurses' attitudes towards obesity and obese patients scale" (NATOOPS) questionnaire. Part 2 students also took part in a simulation activity while wearing a bariatric empathy suit and completed the NATOOPS questionnaire again immediately after the simulation activity. Students who wore the empathy suits were invited to a focus group. RESULTS: Part 1 students reported poorer attitudes on the NATOOPS scale than Part 2 students. After wearing the bariatric empathy suits students reported changed attitudes on the NATOOPS in three areas: response to obese patients, characteristics of obese patients and supportive roles in caring for obese patients. Five themes emerged from the focus groups related to physical and psychological impact of the suits; thinking differently; simulation as a learning experience and challenges and recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Following a structured educational experience student nurses' attitudes were more positive towards obese patients. The characteristics of the educational activity that appeared to influence student nurses' attitudes was related to the "lived experience" of wearing bariatric empathy suits

Coronary CT Angiography and 5-Year Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) improves diagnostic certainty in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain, its effect on 5-year clinical outcomes is unknown. METHODS: In an open-label, multicenter, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned 4146 patients with stable chest pain who had been referred to a cardiology clinic for evaluation to standard care plus CTA (2073 patients) or to standard care alone (2073 patients). Investigations, treatments, and clinical outcomes were assessed over 3 to 7 years of follow-up. The primary end point was death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 4.8 years, which yielded 20,254 patient-years of follow-up. The 5-year rate of the primary end point was lower in the CTA group than in the standard-care group (2.3% [48 patients] vs. 3.9% [81 patients]; hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.84; P=0.004). Although the rates of invasive coronary angiography and coronary revascularization were higher in the CTA group than in the standard-care group in the first few months of follow-up, overall rates were similar at 5 years: invasive coronary angiography was performed in 491 patients in the CTA group and in 502 patients in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.13), and coronary revascularization was performed in 279 patients in the CTA group and in 267 in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.27). However, more preventive therapies were initiated in patients in the CTA group (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.65), as were more antianginal therapies (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.54). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of cardiovascular or noncardiovascular deaths or deaths from any cause. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, the use of CTA in addition to standard care in patients with stable chest pain resulted in a significantly lower rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years than standard care alone, without resulting in a significantly higher rate of coronary angiography or coronary revascularization. (Funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and others; SCOT-HEART ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01149590 .)