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Foreign body ingestion (FBI) in children is a critical health concern. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of FBI in children in Italy. We retrospectively enrolled children <18 years admitted for FBI from January 2015 to December 2020. Data were collected across 21 hospitals with dedicated pediatric endoscopy services and normalized by the population of the corresponding municipalities. A total of 5,771 FBI cases were analyzed. FBI incidents showed consistent time trends across age groups, with most events occurring at home and being witnessed (94.7 %). Children <6 years accounted for 74.3 % of cases. Comorbidities were present in 5.3 % of cases, primarily neurologic/psychiatric disorders in older children (6–17 years). Blunt objects accounted for 65.5 % of ingestions. Young males commonly ingested button batteries, while females showed higher rates of ingesting hair products and jewelry. Most children were discharged (60 %) or observed briefly (75 % of total admissions), with endoscopic removal performed in 24 % of cases. Rates of FBI have remained stable over the years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. FBI predominantly occurs in domestic settings among healthy young children, particularly those ≤5 years old. These findings emphasize the need for preventive measures to reduce the impact of FBI among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) is a specific form of small group learning recognized by Project Kaleidoscope as best practice pedagogy (Varma-Nelson, 2004). PLTL was first developed by Woodward, Gosser, and Weiner (1993) as an integrated method that promoted discourse and creative problem solving in chemistry at the City College of New York. It is characterized by a cohort-based social learning structure whereby trained undergraduates, or "peer leaders", guide 4-8 less experienced peers toward conceptual understanding through group-focused science and math problem solving. This study examines the impact of PLTL on critical thinking gains in science and math courses at a research university in the Pacific Northwest. Results of this study show that PLTL has a small but positive impact on critical thinking gains in some science courses, and that it improves grade performance and retention in science and math courses, particularly for females. While math students did not show significant critical thinking gains, it is premature to conclude that PLTL does not promote critical thinking in math. Many factors affect the development of critical thinking skills, and more study is necessary to discover their influence. These results indicate PLTL has potential to improve undergraduate critical thinking. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

To assess the clinical complications reported after the ingestion of magnetic foreign bodies (FBs) in pediatric age, along with their incidence among all FB ingestions and clinical presentation. We've consecutively recruited all children aged 0–14 years who were admitted for single or multiple magnet ingestion from May 2015 to December 2022. Patient demographics, admission sources and discharge status were accurately recorded, along with their clinical management and outcomes. Sixty-one children were enrolled, of whom 49/61 (80.3%) had ingested a single magnet and 12/61 (19.7%) multiple magnets. Only 1/49 children with single magnet required endoscopic removal due to esophageal retention. Among children having ingested multiple magnets, 5/12 (41.7%) undergo endoscopic removal since magnets were amenable to endoscopic retrieval whereas in 7/12 (58.3%) magnets could not be promptly removed. Among these, 4/12 (33.3%) later developed intestinal ischemia/necrosis or perforation and required FB surgical intervention whereas 3/12 (25%) uneventfully evacuated magnets. Our data confirm that multiple magnet ingestion, unlike single magnet ingestion, pose a serious health hazard. Parents and caregivers should remove them from the reach of children. Medical providers should maintain a high index of suspicion of their ingestion since prompt evaluation and likely removal may be lifesaving and intestine saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constipation is a common problem in children, accounting for about 3% of all primary care visits and up to 25% of referrals to paediatric gastroenterologists. Although polyethylene glycol often proves effective, most children require prolonged treatment and about 50% of them have at least one relapse within the first 5 years after initial recovery. When conventional treatment fails, children are considered to have refractory constipation. Children with refractory constipation deserve specialist management and guidance. Over the last decades, there has been a remarkable increase in our knowledge of normal and abnormal colonic and anorectal motility in children, and a number of different techniques to measure transit and motility have been developed. The present review analyses the possible diagnostic investigations for children with refractory constipation, focusing on their actual indications and their utility in clinical practice. Moreover, we have also analytically reviewed medical and surgical therapeutic options, which should be considered in selected patients in order to achieve the best clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Community-Based Inquiry (CBI) instructional method, cooperative student groups complete case study activities based on scientific literature and conduct their own laboratory investigations that address authentic community needs. This study compared critical thinking and content knowledge outcomes between traditional Introduction to Biochemistry lecture/laboratory and CBI curricula with human health case studies and local elementary school lunch nutrition laboratory investigations. CBI students experienced statistically significant critical thinking gains of medium effect size with female and male equity, whereas traditional students demonstrated no critical thinking gains with statistically significant sex disparity of medium effect size. Bifurcating student ethnicity into White and all other respondents revealed that the Other students gained statistically significantly more content knowledge in CBI than in the traditional group with a large effect size. Chemistry faculty concerned with developing both content knowledge and critical thinking skill in all students should consider using CBI not only for majors, but also for non-majors such as allied health students.

Foreign body ingestion (FBI) in children requires early identification to prevent adverse outcomes and may necessitate endoscopic or surgical intervention. This study aims to develop a nomogram that identifies children who require urgent surgical or endoscopic intervention by using the patient's medical history and clinical parameters collected at admission. This study is a retrospective review (01/2015–12/2020) of a multicenter case series of children admitted for FBI. Data from 5864 records from 24 hospitals in Italy were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to establish the probability of requiring surgical or endoscopic intervention based on patient history and clinical characteristics. The nomogram representing the results from the multivariable model was reported to examine the propensity for surgery/endoscopy. The study identified a significant association between intervention and various factors, including type of foreign body (blunt: reference category, disk battery (odds ratio OR:4.89), food bolus (OR:1.88), magnets (OR:2.61), sharp-pointed (OR:1.65), unknown (OR:1.02)), pre-existing diseases or conditions (OR 3.42), drooling (OR 10.91), dysphagia (OR 5.58), vomiting (OR 3.30), retrosternal pain (OR 5.59), abdominal pain (OR 1.58), hematemesis (OR 2.82), food refusal/poor feeding (OR 2.99), and unexplained crying (OR 2.01). The multivariable regression model showed good calibration and discrimination ability, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.77. This study developed the first nomogram to predict the probability of the need for surgical or endoscopic intervention in children with FBI, based on the information collected at admission. The nomogram will aid clinicians in identifying children who require early intervention to prevent adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemistry students appear to bring significantly higher critical-thinking skill to their nonmajors course than do biology students. Knowing student preconceptions and thinking ability is essential to learning growth and effective teaching. Of the factors investigated, ethnicity and high school physics had the largest impact on critical-thinking skill differences. Years of high school science, GPA, parents' education, and household income, commonly believed to influence academic performance, did not affect critical-thinking differences in this study. These factors should be considered when designing and assessing nonmajors courses in order to maximize learning. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

National stakeholders are becoming increasingly concerned about the inability of college graduates to think critically. Research shows that, while both faculty and students deem critical thinking essential, only a small fraction of graduates can demonstrate the thinking skills necessary for academic and professional success. Many faculty are considering nontraditional teaching methods that incorporate undergraduate research because they more closely align with the process of doing investigative science. This study compared a research-focused teaching method called community-based inquiry (CBI) with traditional lecture/laboratory in general education biology to discover which method would elicit greater gains in critical thinking. Results showed significant critical-thinking gains in the CBI group but decreases in a traditional group and a mixed CBI/traditional group. Prior critical-thinking skill, instructor, and ethnicity also significantly influenced critical-thinking gains, with nearly all ethnicities in the CBI group outperforming peers in both the mixed and traditional groups. Females, who showed decreased critical thinking in traditional courses relative to males, outperformed their male counterparts in CBI courses. Through the results of this study, it is hoped that faculty who value both research and critical thinking will consider using the CBI method. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

The WebQuest is a four-step process integrated at appropriate points in the Animal Studies unit. Through the WebQuest, students create a series of habitat maps that build on the knowledge gained from conducting the various activities of the unit. The quest concludes with an evaluation using the WebQuest rubric and an oral presentation of a final collaborative map. In creating the hypothetical habitat, students analyze, evaluate, compare, and contrast each other's work by making and justifying alternative choices. (Contains 3 figures, 1 resource and 2 online resources.)

Increasingly, national stakeholders express concern that U.S. college graduates cannot adequately solve problems and think critically. As a set of cognitive abilities, critical thinking skills provide students with tangible academic, personal, and professional benefits that may ultimately address these concerns. As an instructional method, writing has long been perceived as a way to improve critical thinking. In the current study, the researchers compared critical thinking performance of students who experienced a laboratory writing treatment with those who experienced traditional quiz-based laboratory in a general education biology course. The effects of writing were determined within the context of multiple covariables. Results indicated that the writing group significantly improved critical thinking skills whereas the nonwriting group did not. Specifically, analysis and inference skills increased significantly in the writing group but not the nonwriting group. Writing students also showed greater gains in evaluation skills; however, these were not significant. In addition to writing, prior critical thinking skill and instructor significantly affected critical thinking performance, whereas other covariables such as gender, ethnicity, and age were not significant. With improved critical thinking skill, general education biology students will be better prepared to solve problems as engaged and productive citizens. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)

On the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountain range in Washington State, high school biology students have a unique opportunity to study the elusive cougar ("Felis concolor"), a large cat native to the area. Nestled in the Cascade foothills is the city of Cle Elum, a small rural community that is expected to soon experience considerable growth from development of a large resort. The community provides an excellent model for scientific study of native animals; students can study and compare the cougar's habitat and behavior before, during, and after resort development. From an instructional perspective, the study of cougars provides an ideal way to engage both introductory and advanced biology students in interdisciplinary science inquiry and problem solving. In this article, the authors describe the design and implementation of the Cougar Conservation Project (CCP), a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum that provided students and community members with valuable interdisciplinary learning experiences. (Contains 2 figures.)

Background. The main aim of the study was to assess the association between joint hypermobility (JH) and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in children. Methods. All children aged 4-17 years attending the clinics of the participating Pediatric Gastroenterology Centres for functional GI disorders (FGIDs) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were screened for joint laxity. JH diagnosis was inferred using the Beighton Score. JHS diagnosis was inferred based on the Brighton Criteria. Rome III Diagnostic Criteria were used to diagnose possible FGIDs. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease diagnoses were made according to the Porto Criteria. Age and sex-matched healthy children were enrolled as controls. Results. One-hundred-seventy children with GI disorders (70 with FGIDs, 50 with Crohn's disease, and 50 with ulcerative colitis) and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. JH was reported in 7/70 (10%) children with FGIDs (p=0.26 compared to controls), 4/50 (8%) children with Crohn's disease (p=0.21 compared to controls) and 15/50 (30%) children with ulcerative colitis (p=0.09 compared to controls; p=0.01 compared to FGIDs; p=0.01 compared to Crohn's). Conclusions. JH is more prevalent in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis compared to the healthy general population, yet the difference did not reach statistical significance. Likely, a proportion of children with ulcerative colitis and JH may show connective tissue abnormalities. However, whether JH can be considered a possible feature of pediatric GI disorders deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign body and caustic ingestions in children are usually the most common clinical challenges for emergency physicians, general pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists. Management of these conditions often requires different levels of expertise and competence. Endoscopy is often necessary but there is a high risk of misusing this tool with incorrect timing and indications. The imprecise clinical history frequently leaves clinicians uncertain about timing and nature of the ingestion. Few clinical guidelines regarding management of these ingestions in children have been published, none of which from the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP). An expert panel of Italian endoscopists was convened by the SIGENP Endoscopy Working Group to produce the present article that outlines practical clinical approaches to the pediatric patient with a variety of foreign body and caustic ingestions. The Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO) has also endorsed the project since many adult endoscopists usually manage children with these conditions. Differently from the other published guidelines, the proposed one focuses on the role of the endoscopists (regardless of whether they are adult or pediatric gastroenterologists) in the diagnostic process of children with foreign body and caustic ingestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]