Okul Öncesi Öğretmen Adaylarının Çocuk Gelişimi ile ilgili İnançlarında Değişim ve Durağanlıklar

Çocuk gelişimini bilmek ve anlamak, okul öncesi eğitimi öğretmenleri için mesleklerini iyi yapabilmek için temel bir unsurdur.  Bu araştırmada okul öncesi eğitimi öğretmen adaylarının gelişim inançlarında üniversite eğitimi sürecinde meydana gelen değişimler ya da durağanlıklar incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın örneklemini 538 birinci ve dördüncü sınıfa devam etmekte olan okul öncesi öğretmenliği öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. İlişkisel tarama modelinin kullanıldığı bu araştırmada, veriler; Gelişim Hakkındaki İnançlar Ölçeği ile toplanmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde iki yönlü MANOVA kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulguları, dört yıl boyunca öğretmen adaylarının olgunlaşmacı inançlarının azaldığını ve bilişsel inançlarının artığını, katılımcı üç üniversitede öğrencilerin gelişimle ilgili inançları birbirinden farklı olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu bulgular doğrultusunda öneriler sunulmuştu

Monocyte-to-HDL cholesterol ratio and uric acid-to-HDL cholesterol ratio as predictors of vitamin D deficiency in healthy young adults: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to assess vitamin D deficiency in a cohort of healthy young adults using the novel inflammatory parameters neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (MHR), and uric acid-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (UHR). Subjects and methods The study included 1,190 participants, with demographic and laboratory data retrieved retrospectively from our institution’s database. The inclusion criteria were ages 22-35 years; absence of acute, subacute, or chronic diseases; no regular medication use; and laboratory values within specified reference ranges. The exclusion criteria were pregnancy, diagnosis of malignancy, and laboratory measurements indicating infection. Participants were categorized into four groups based on vitamin D levels for comparative analysis of study parameters. Correlation analyses were conducted between these parameters and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, followed by receiver-operating characteristic analyses to determine the parameters’ sensitivity and specificity in detecting vitamin D deficiency. Additionally, regression analyses were performed to identify potential risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Results Subjects in Groups A1 and A2 exhibited higher MHR and UHR than those in Groups A3 and A4 (p < 0.001). Both MHR and UHR correlated negatively with vitamin D levels (r = -0.377 and r = -0.363, respectively; p < 0.001). The area under the curve for MHR was 0.766 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.739-0.794), with a 79% sensitivity and 61% specificity for identification of vitamin D deficiency. Increased MHR and UHR were independent risk factors for vitamin D deficiency (β = 0.219, odds ratio 1.244 95% CI 1.178-1.315, and β = 2.202, odds ratio 1.224, 95% CI 1.150-1.303). Conclusions Both MHR and UHR can be useful in predicting vitamin D deficiency in healthy young adults and may serve as valuable screening tools

Administration of single-dose GnRH agonist in the luteal phase in ICSI cycles: a meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effects of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) administered in the luteal phase remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of the administration of a single-dose of GnRH-a in the luteal phase on ICSI clinical outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The research strategy included the online search of databases. Only randomized studies were included. The outcomes analyzed were implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) per transfer and ongoing pregnancy rate. The fixed effects model was used for odds ratio. In all trials, a single dose of GnRH-a was administered at day 5/6 after ICSI procedures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All cycles presented statistically significantly higher rates of implantation (P < 0.0001), CPR per transfer (P = 0.006) and ongoing pregnancy (P = 0.02) in the group that received luteal-phase GnRH-a administration than in the control group (without luteal-phase-GnRH-a administration). When meta-analysis was carried out only in trials that had used long GnRH-a ovarian stimulation protocol, CPR per transfer (P = 0.06) and ongoing pregnancy (P = 0.23) rates were not significantly different between the groups, but implantation rate was significant higher (P = 0.02) in the group that received luteal-phase-GnRH-a administration. On the other hand, the results from trials that had used GnRH antagonist multi-dose ovarian stimulation protocol showed statistically significantly higher implantation (P = 0.0002), CPR per transfer (P = 0.04) and ongoing pregnancy rate (P = 0.04) in the luteal-phase-GnRH-a administration group. The majority of the results presented heterogeneity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings demonstrate that the luteal-phase single-dose GnRH-a administration can increase implantation rate in all cycles and CPR per transfer and ongoing pregnancy rate in cycles with GnRH antagonist ovarian stimulation protocol. Nevertheless, by considering the heterogeneity between the trials, it seems premature to recommend the use of GnRH-a in the luteal phase. Additional randomized controlled trials are necessary before evidence-based recommendations can be provided.</p

Approaches to improve the diagnosis and management of infertility

Recent advances in our understanding of the causes of infertility and of assisted reproductive technology (ART) have led to the development of complex diagnostic tools, prognostic models and treatment options. The Third Evian Annual Reproduction (EVAR) Workshop Meeting was held on 26-27 April 2008 to evaluate evidence supporting current approaches to the diagnosis and management of infertility and to identify areas for future research efforts. Specialist reproductive medicine clinicians and scientists delivered presentations based on published literature and ongoing research on patient work-up, ovarian stimulation and embryo quality assessment during ART. This report is based on the expert presentations and subsequent group discussions and was supplemented with publications from literature searches and the authors' knowledge. It was agreed that single embryo transfer (SET) should be used with increasing frequency in cycles of ART. Continued improvements in cryopreservation techniques, which improve pregnancy rates using supernumerary frozen embryos, are expected to augment the global uptake of SET. Adaptation and personalization of fertility therapy may help to optimize efficacy and safety outcomes for individual patients. Prognostic modelling and personalized management strategies based on individual patient characteristics may prove to represent real progress towards improved treatment. However, at present, there is limited good-quality evidence to support the use of these individualized approaches. Greater quality control and standardization of clinical and laboratory evaluations are required to optimize ART practices and improve individual patient outcomes. Well-designed, good-quality studies are required to drive improvements to the diagnosis and management of ART processes

Conocimiento pedagógico: explorando nuevas aproximaciones

Resumen La formación inicial docente se ha transformado en un nudo crítico para las políticas educativas. Uno de los elementos que muestra importantes deficiencias es la desarticulación del conocimiento pedagógico dentro del proceso de aprender a enseñar. En esta reflexión se propone una reconceptualización del conocimiento pedagógico a la luz de cuatro elementos centrales que debiera tenerse en consideración: el rol de las creencias sobre la enseñanza y aprendizaje en la formación docente inicial; la importancia del conocimiento pedagógico del contenido como un eje articulador en el proceso de formación; la vinculación entre teoría y práctica para contribuir en el desarrollo de un conocimiento de la enseñanza pertinente a los contextos en donde se implementará; y el desarrollo de prácticas reflexivas como una estrategia para articular y confrontar los anteriores elementos en la formación de los futuros profesores. El abordaje de estos tópicos contribuirá no sólo con profundizar temas escasamente abordados en el campo de la formación docente inicial, sino también con desarrollar una mirada más comprensiva de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje que debiesen sustentar los programas de formación docente inicial. Se discutirán las implicancias de esta propuesta en los dispositivos de enseñanza-aprendizaje que promueve la formación inicial de profesores y en las posibilidades de innovación que se podrían implementar

The effects of a teaching methods course on early childhood preservice teachers' beliefs

This study examines the effectiveness of an educational methods course for changing early childhood preservice teachers' instructional beliefs. The teaching methods course emphasized constructivist teaching principles. Seventy-eight of the early childhood education preservice teachers who were enrolled in this course filled out the Teacher Belief Survey at the beginning and end of the 15-week course. The results of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis indicated that participation in the teaching methods course had significantly changed preservice teachers' beliefs. As a result of the course, preservice teachers' constructivist beliefs increased, and these beliefs became more concrete and coherent. Results are discussed in relation to the literature, and the implications of examining early childhood education programs are explored