“The First Day He Kicked Shoes at Me, the Last Day He Brought Me a Picture of Himself”: Investigating the Practicum Experiences of Pre-service Teachers

The purpose of this study was to describe the ways in which the experiences gained during practica influence the developing self-efficacy of Canadian pre-service teachers for teaching in inclusive classrooms. Questionnaires were issued to participants in teacher education programs at 11 universities across Canada, and the data were subjected to content analysis. Several themes that emerged from the participant responses were found to be influential in pre-service teachers’ feelings of efficacy, with behaviour management having the greatest influence, regardless of whether participants felt successful or challenged. Academic outcomes, relationships with students, and other school adults as resources were also identified as themes influencing pre-service teachers’ feelings of success and challenge in practica. The data revealed attitudes and beliefs about inclusion and the impact these may have on teacher efficacy. Several elements can positively influence teacher efficacy including the ability to identify and utilize instructional and personnel resources, the ability to form supportive professional relationships with other school adults, and the ability to recognize achievement as it pertains to the individual rather than prescribed norms. As beliefs about self-efficacy are informed by enactive mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, physiological factors, and verbal persuasion, teacher preparation programs can foster teacher efficacy by encouraging the development of positive attitudes and equipping teachers with the skills they need

Cross-cutting principles for planetary health education

Since the 2015 launch of the Rockefeller Foundation Lancet Commission on planetary health,1 an enormous groundswell of interest in planetary health education has emerged across many disciplines, institutions, and geographical regions. Advancing these global efforts in planetary health education will equip the next generation of scholars to address crucial questions in this emerging field and support the development of a community of practice. To provide a foundation for the growing interest and efforts in this field, the Planetary Health Alliance has facilitated the first attempt to create a set of principles for planetary health education that intersect education at all levels, across all scales, and in all regions of the world—ie, a set of cross-cutting principles

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

I like it by mere association : conditioning preferences in infants

Preferences have a profound impact on our behavior; however, relatively little is known about how preference formation works early in life. Evaluative conditioning occurs when the valence of an initially neutral object changes when it is paired with a positively or negatively valenced stimulus. It is possible that evaluative conditioning may account for early preference learning; however, the extent to which this kind of learning operates during infancy has not been empirically tested. The aim of the current studies was to assess whether infants’ preferences for neutral objects is influenced by pairing them with affective stimuli (Experiment 1: happy vs. angry faces, N = 20; Experiment 2: mother vs. stranger faces, N = 22). Infants’ preferences were tested using both looking time and behavioral choice measures. The results showed that infants tended to choose the object that had been paired with the positive stimulus (Experiment 1: 13/20; Experiment 2: 14/22). Gaze behavior at test did not differentiate between the two objects; however, gaze behavior during conditioning predicted infants’ behavioral preference. Only infants who looked longer at the affective stimulus than at the object during learning chose the object that had been paired with positive valence more often than chance. These results suggest that infants’ preferences may be influenced by learned associations between objects and affective stimuli, a process akin to evaluative conditioning in adults

Peace Leadership Education: Stories of Growth, Training, and Development

Peace education is a philosophy and practice that aims to equip learners with the skills and behaviors to enable them to become peaceful citizens capable of resolving the conflicts faced in their communities and beyond and working to establish a culture of peace through dismantling systems that contribute to prejudice, violence, and hatred. This chapter argues that peace education is an alternative to the culture of violence that dominates many societies around the world and provides a discussion of important authors and scholars. These notions of peace education are then explored through the stories of four peace leadership education endeavors. Utilizing integral peace leadership as a guiding frame, these educational endeavors explored the ways to create cultures of peace in communities and schools. The chapter concludes with a commitment to use integral peace leadership as a vehicle for promoting a more peaceful culture committed to social change and overcoming the hindrances to local and international peace

From protest to progress through partnership with students: Being human in STEM (HSTEM)

In Fall 2015, Amherst College students held a four-day sit-in in unity with student protests occurring all over the United States highlighting barriers to inclusion of underrepresented and marginalized students.Following appeals for action, students partnered with faculty and staff in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to develop the Being Human in STEM (HSTEM) Initiative. HSTEM involves exploring past diversity and inclusion efforts in STEM, sharing one’s own experiences in STEM with others, and developing student-driven projects to improve belonging in STEM. In this student, faculty, and staff co-authored paper, we describe the origin of HSTEM; share student, faculty and staff reflections on our experiences with HSTEM; and present two inquiry projects examining HSTEM impact. We discuss lessons learned and recommendations for diversity and inclusion efforts in higher education, both in and beyond STEM, emphasizing the power of an initiative that was originated by and remains driven by student partners

Oral ferrous sulfate supplements increase the free radical-generating capacity of feces from healthy volunteers

Most dietary iron remains unabsorbed and hence may be available to participate in Fenton-driven free radical generation in conjunction with the colonic microflora, leading to the production of carcinogens or direct damage to colonocytes