Search

ispartof: Educational Studies In Mathematics vol:108 issue:3 pages:1-10 status: Published online

Preparing students for their lives beyond schooling appears to be a universal goal of formal education. Much has been done to make mathematics education more “realistic,” but such activities nevertheless generally remain within the institutional norms of education. In this article, we assume that pedagogic relations are also an integral part of working life and draw on Bernstein’s work to address their significant features in this context. However, unlike participation in formal mathematics education, where the discipline is central, workers are likely to be confronted by, and need to reconcile, a range of other valued workplace discourses, both epistemic and social/cultural in nature. How might mathematics education work towards overcoming the hiatus between these two very different institutional settings? This article will argue that the skills of recontextualisation, central to teachers’ work, should be integral to the mathematics education of all future workers. It will consider theoretical perspectives on pedagogic discourse and the consequences of diverse knowledge structures at work, with implications for general and vocational mathematics education.

Background Given that carers of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and carers of individuals with psychiatric disorders experience elevated levels of stress and psychological distress, carers of individuals with both ID and a comorbid psychiatric disorder are potentially at even greater risk for psychological difficulties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological well-being of carers of adults with a dual diagnosis compared with carers of adults with intellectual disability alone. Method Four-hundred and forty-two questionnaires were sent to four community services and seventy-five family carers of adults with intellectual disability responded. Psychological well-being of carers was assessed using the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress – Friedrich edition (QRS-F) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Comorbid psychopathology for their family member with ID was assessed using the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behaviour (RSMB). Results Twenty-four percent of the individuals with ID were reported to have comorbid psychopathology. Between-group analyses compared carers of people with ID and comorbid psychopathology to carers of people with ID alone. Regression analyses examined the relationship between psychopathology and other care-related variables to carer stress and psychological distress. Carers of people with ID and comorbid psychopathology were found to have significantly higher levels of stress and psychological distress than carers of people with ID alone. Autism was found to be the only significant predictor of both stress and psychological distress among measures of psychopathology. Conclusions Additional comorbid psychopathology in individuals with intellectual disability has a significant impact on their carers’ psychological well-being.

Short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase (SCEH or ECHS1) deficiency is a rare inborn error of metabolism caused by biallelic mutations in the gene ECHS1 (OMIM 602292). Clinical presentation includes infantile-onset severe developmental delay, regression, seizures, elevated lactate, and brain MRI abnormalities consistent with Leigh syndrome (LS). Characteristic abnormal biochemical findings are secondary to dysfunction of valine metabolism. We describe four patients from two consanguineous families (one Pakistani and one Irish Traveler), who presented in infancy with LS. Urine organic acid analysis by GC/MS showed increased levels of erythro-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrate and 3-methylglutaconate (3-MGC). Increased urine excretion of methacrylyl-CoA and acryloyl-CoA related metabolites analyzed by LC-MS/MS, were suggestive of SCEH deficiency; this was confirmed in patient fibroblasts. Both families were shown to harbor homozygous pathogenic variants in the ECHS1 gene; a c.476A > G (p.Gln159Arg) ECHS1variant in the Pakistani family and a c.538A > G, p.(Thr180Ala) ECHS1 variant in the Irish Traveler family. The c.538A > G, p.(Thr180Ala) ECHS1 variant was postulated to represent a Canadian founder mutation, but we present SNP genotyping data to support Irish ancestry of this variant with a haplotype common to the previously reported Canadian patients and our Irish Traveler family. The presence of detectable erythro-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrate is a nonspecific marker on urine organic acid analysis but this finding, together with increased excretion of 3-MGC, elevated plasma lactate, and normal acylcarnitine profile in patients with a Leigh-like presentation should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of SCEH deficiency and genetic analysis of ECHS1. ECHS1 deficiency can be added to the list of conditions with 3-MGA.

We present multi-epoch spectroscopic observations of the massive binary system WR21a, which include the January 2011 periastron passage. Our spectra reveal multiple SB2 lines and facilitate an accurate determination of the orbit and the spectral types of the components. We obtain minimum masses of $64.4\pm4.8 \ M_{\odot}$ and $36.3\pm1.7 \ M_{\odot}$ for the two components of WR21a. Using disentangled spectra of the individual components, we derive spectral types of O3/WN5ha and O3Vz~((f*)) for the primary and secondary, respectively. Using the spectral type of the secondary as an indication for its mass, we estimate an orbital inclination of $i=58.8\pm2.5^{\mathrm{o}}$ and absolute masses of $103.6\pm10.2 \ M_{\odot}$ and $58.3\pm3.7 \ M_{\odot}$, in agreement with the luminosity of the system. The spectral types of the WR21a components indicate that the stars are very young (1$-$2 Myr), similar to the age of the nearby Westerlund 2 cluster. We use evolutionary tracks to determine the mass-luminosity relation for the total system mass. We find that for a distance of 8 kpc and an age of 1.5 Myr, the derived absolute masses are in good agreement with those from evolutionary predictions., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS

In this Commentary I reflect on the work done by the authors of five chapters in relation to technology-related professional development for mathematics teachers across a range of educational levels, undertaken in a variety of contextual settings, and drawing on a wealth of theoretical frameworks to support a diversity of practical approaches to implementation involving teachers, current and prospective, their students, and researchers in ongoing knowledge building and theory development. My reflections will be refracted through the three other major themes of this book which intersect in professional development: (a) technology as a tool for teaching and learning mathematics, (b) communication inside and outside the classroom, and (c) information tools, to inform oneself and to inform others.

In this commentary I will address the notions of work, the need for innovation, and the role of workplace mathematics. I will then provide an overview of some of the complex issues that confront the subfield of vocational mathematics education with consequences for current and future workers, drawing in part on the work of Basil Bernstein. Finally, I will address the question of workplace research and offer some possible directions for future research, as well as implications for policy. Reflections on the articles included in this special issue will frame the discussion.

Objective: To assess longitudinal associations between screen-based media use (television (TV) and computer hours, having a TV in the bedroom) and body fatness among UK children. Methods: Participants were 12 556 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study who were followed from age 7 to age 11 years. Associations were assessed between screen-based media use and the following outcomes: body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), and overweight. Results: In fully adjusted models, having a bedroom TV at age 7 years was associated with significantly higher BMI and FMI (excess BMI for boys=0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.52; excess BMI for girls=0.57, 95% CI 0.31–0.84; excess FMI for boys=0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.37; excess FMI for girls=0.39, 95% CI 0.21–0.57) and increased risk of being overweight (relative risk (RR) for boys=1.21, 95% CI 1.07–1.36; RR for girls=1.31, 95% CI 1.15–1.48) at age 11 years, compared with having no bedroom TV. Hours spent watching TV or digital versatile disks were associated with increased risk of overweight among girls only. Computer use at age 7 years was not related to later body fatness for either gender. Conclusion: Having a TV in the child’s bedroom was an independent risk factor for overweight and increased body fatness in this nationally representative sample of UK children. Childhood obesity prevention strategies should consider TVs in children’s bedrooms as a risk factor for obesity.

Given that carers of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and carers of individuals with psychiatric disorders experience elevated levels of stress and psychological distress, carers of individuals with both ID and a comorbid psychiatric disorder are potentially at even greater risk for psychological difficulties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological well-being of carers of adults with a dual diagnosis compared with carers of adults with intellectual disability alone.Four-hundred and forty-two questionnaires were sent to four community services and seventy-five family carers of adults with intellectual disability responded. Psychological well-being of carers was assessed using the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress - Friedrich edition (QRS-F) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Comorbid psychopathology for their family member with ID was assessed using the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behaviour (RSMB).Twenty-four percent of the individuals with ID were reported to have comorbid psychopathology. Between-group analyses compared carers of people with ID and comorbid psychopathology to carers of people with ID alone. Regression analyses examined the relationship between psychopathology and other care-related variables to carer stress and psychological distress. Carers of people with ID and comorbid psychopathology were found to have significantly higher levels of stress and psychological distress than carers of people with ID alone. Autism was found to be the only significant predictor of both stress and psychological distress among measures of psychopathology.Additional comorbid psychopathology in individuals with intellectual disability has a significant impact on their carers' psychological well-being.

Magnetically-induced forces on the inertial masses on-board LISA Pathfinder are expected to be one of the dominant contributions to the mission noise budget, accounting for up to 40%. The origin of this disturbance is the coupling of the residual magnetization and susceptibility of the test masses with the environmental magnetic field. In order to fully understand this important part of the noise model, a set of coils and magnetometers are integrated as a part of the diagnostics subsystem. During operations a sequence of magnetic excitations will be applied to precisely determine the coupling of the magnetic environment to the test mass displacement using the on-board magnetometers. Since no direct measurement of the magnetic field in the test mass position will be available, an extrapolation of the magnetic measurements to the test mass position will be carried out as a part of the data analysis activities. In this paper we show the first results on the magnetic experiments during an end-to-end LISA Pathfinder simulation, and we describe the methods under development to map the magnetic field on-board. A post-publication change was made to this article on 26 Jun 2020 to add an author.

This chapter reports on the mathematical training of operators in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Australia. Based on an analysis of workplace observations, the pedagogic design of the training addresses tensions and contradictions between the mathematically informed workplace practices of the operators and their formal mathematical competences. A Bernsteinian approach is used in this chapter to discuss issues of enhancement at the individual level and of social, intellectual, cultural, and personal inclusion.

This article draws on a sociocultural activity theory approach to identify considerations in the development of technology mediated mathematics education for learners at the post-compulsory level. It suggests that the use of technology should be aligned with the intended goals and objectives of the learning. In particular, it is necessary to take into account contexts both inside and outside of the institution where mathematical knowledges and skills may be transformed as tools or artefacts in the process of pursuing extra-mathematical objectives. To this end, the article incorporates findings from theoretical and case study research into adult numeracy in the workplace.

(2002). Introduction: Cultural Aspects of Mathematics Education. Journal of Intercultural Studies: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 109-118.

The orbital motion of the three spacecraft that make up the eLISA Observatory constellation causes long-arm line of sight variations of approximately ± one degree over the course of a year. The baseline solution is to package the telescope, the optical bench, and the gravitational reference sensor (GRS) into an optical assembly at each end of the measurement arm, and then to articulate the assembly. An optical phase reference is exchanged between the moving optical benches with a single mode optical fiber (“backlink” fiber). An alternative solution, referred to as in-field pointing, embeds a steering mirror into the optical design, fixing the optical benches and eliminating the backlink fiber, but requiring the additional complication of a two-stage optical design for the telescope. We examine the impact of an in-field pointing design on the scattered light performance.

The main goal of LISA Pathfinder (LPF) mission is to estimate the acceleration noise models of the overall LISA Technology Package (LTP) experiment on-board. This will be of crucial importance for the future space-based Gravitational-Wave (GW) detectors, like eLISA. Here, we present the Bayesian analysis framework to process the planned system identification experiments designed for that purpose. In particular, we focus on the analysis strategies to predict the accuracy of the parameters that describe the system in all degrees of freedom. The data sets were generated during the latest operational simulations organised by the data analysis team and this work is part of the LTPDA Matlab toolbox. A post-publication change was made to this article on 26 Jun 2020 to add an author.

This paper situates mathematical content and process knowledge within the construct of broad occupational competence. It is critical of many developments in vocational mathematics curriculum and pedagogical practice in Australia over the last decade or so, especially the trend towards the de-institutionalisation of disciplinary knowledge. This has been accompanied by a chronic lack of professional development for many involved in vocational education to enable development of this mathematical knowledge. Meanwhile, workers' actual and potential mathematical knowledges remain largely unrecognised, whilst irrelevant, often infantile, pedagogic texts form their subjectivities as doers rather than knowers, always in need of more training to adapt to ever-changing technologies of workplace plant and management. It argues that to attempt to satisfy government and industry demands for a creative, problem-solving workforce—to say nothing of workers' entitlement to democratic participation—there is a need for mathe...

In the workplace mathematics and statistics are essential for communication and decision-making. Process workers at lower classifications of skill levels are likely to be confronted with statistical charts and warnings about nonconformity. Mathematics, statistics, and technology education in and for the workplace must take account of the cultural diversity which exists within and between workplaces. The design of generic mathematics, and in some cases statistics, curricula rarely reflect actual workplace practice except at a superficial level. One way of overcoming these problems is for mathematics/statistics educators to work in cooperation with industry, particularly at the local level, in a way that will encourage and support lifelong learning yet remain critical of the uses to which mathematics, statistics, and technology are put. This paper outlines some ways in which to address the challenge of making mathematics, statistics, and technology education take on real meaning within the context of the wo...

Seeks to address issues associated with lifelong learning from the perspective of teaching and curriculum practice in the areas of mathematics and technology in an Australian pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprise. Its aim is to reflect on research‐based innovative course delivery in the field specified to indicate possibilities in education for lifelong learning. Following discussion of lifelong learning, issues important to the industry will be outlined. A brief description is given of some nationally accredited curricular modules for operators in this industry. In particular, the mathematics modules were perceived by operators as discouraging and even threatening. However, it was, and is, possible to work around atomised modules such as these to operate more holistically to integrate workers’ breadth and depth of prior experience across a broadened view of curriculum in a manner that enhances rather than hinders lifelong learning.

This paper will attempt to provide a critical analysis of some of the social and political contexts of mathematics education in the adult and vocational education and training sectors with particular reference to gender issues. After a brief overview of recent policy developments and a review of papers selected from the literature on gender equity, it will then compare and contrast curricular constraints of previous and current political eras, and use some text by way of illustration to argue that vocational education and training in mathematics neither serves the interests of the individual student nor the (potential) employer, and is far removed from seriously addressing issues of gender equity.

Because of the nature of the broad theme of our working group—Education/training with industry participation—we believe that it is necessary to provide the context for our presentations and discussions.

• realise that mathematics is relevant to them personally and to their community; • gain pleasure from mathematics and appreciate its fascination and power; • realise that mathematics is an activity requiring observation, representation and application of patterns; • acquire the mathematical knowledge, ways of thinking and confidence to use mathematics to: conduct everyday affairs such as monetary exchanges, planning and organising events, and measuring; make individual and collaborative decisions at the personal, civic and vocational levels; engage in the mathematical study needed for further education and employment; • develop skills in presenting and interpreting mathematical arguments; • possess sufficient command of mathematical expressions, representations and technology to: interpret information (e.g., from a court case, or media report) in which mathematics is used; continue to learn mathematics independently and collaboratively; communicate mathematically to a range of audiences; • appreciate: that mathematics is a dynamic field with it roots in many cultures; its relationship to social and technological change (p. 15).

This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the performance of the upcoming LISA Pathfinder geodesic explorer mission. The findings are based on the results of extensive ground testing and simulation campaigns using flight hardware and flight control and operations algorithms. The results show that, for the central experiment of measuring the stray differential acceleration between the LISA test masses, LISA Pathfinder will be able to verify the overall acceleration noise to within a factor two of the LISA requirement at 1 mHz and within a factor 6 at 0.1 mHz. We also discuss the key elements of the physical model of disturbances, coming from LISA Pathfinder and ground measurement, that will guarantee the LISA performance., Proceedings of the 8th LISA Symposium. To appear Class. Quantum Grav. 28 (2011)

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) an abnormality at the stem cell level results in unregulated expansion of myeloid progenitors. The mechanism underlying this uncontrolled proliferation remains unclear. An in vitro clonogenic assay which detects the human counterpart of the murine colony forming unit (CFU) CFU-A/CFU-S day 12 was described in a report of our recent findings. CML bone marrow samples were found to proliferate in the CFU-A assay, producing colonies morphologically indistinguishable from normal controls. The bcr/abl transcripts were sought in the RNA from individual colonies using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For the five CML samples tested to date, the majority of CFU-A colonies at diagnosis or in early chronic phase were found to be bcr/abl positive. For normal controls both macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) inhibited the proliferation of CFU-A colonies when directly added to the assay. In contrast, CML progenitors responded normally to TGF-β1, but showed no response to MlP-1α. In suicide assays, for five normal bone marrow samples, CFU-A progenitors induced into S-phase returned to a quiescent state after treatment with MIP-1α. CML progenitors demonstrated inherently high cycle status which showed no definite response to MIP-1α. However, TGF-β1 resulted in quiescence of CML progenitor cycling. In conclusion, the primitive progenitors from CML samples were inhibited normally by TGF-β1 but showed no response to MIP-1α. Therefore, MIP-1α should have clinical potential as a protective agent during chemotherapy or for chemotherapeutic purging of CML bone marrow grafts in vitro, allowing selective killing of the malignant population.

Working with adults returning to study mathematics in order to achieve goals, such as entry to further study or employment, reveals that the tradition school mathematics education—in English-speaking countries at least—has failed to meet the needs of many. In the post-compulsory sector, traditionally autonomous higher education institutions are now competing amongst each other along with the vocational sector for student enrolments and funding, both public and private. Accompanying this has been an increasing interest and involvement in quality assurance. This chapter will draw upon the relevant quality literature together with the author’s extensive experience in adult and vocational education, also an activity theoretical foundation, to propose a framework for mathematics education that is intended to be flexible and encourage policy makers, educators, and practitioners at all levels to consider whether their mathematics curriculum and teaching effectively meets the needs of all their learners in their particular contexts.

In recent years there have been calls from business and political leaders of diverse countries for them to become 'knowledge economies', to make the most of their human capital. One significant area to emerge is research into adult numeracy practices, for citizenship rights and responsibilities and personal development, as well as in restructuring workplaces. However, there continue to be many and often contested definitions of adult numeracy, according to the various interests and perspectives adopted. Definitions in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) fields are likely to be closely related to intended outcomes and, after an opening discussion of definitions, this chapter continues with a brief review of research into workplace numeracy which has informed conceptualizations of adult numeracy. Related to these has been the rise to prominence of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the adult, technical and vocational areas, both as a medium of delivery and as tools for thinking with. In the particular case of adult numeracy, learning about and through the tools themselves is necessarily becoming problematic as the operation of these tools is often far from transparent. The press for numerate adults is also occurring in the so-called 'developing' countries, and we briefly address this issue, as well as the need for teacher preparation. Our discussions will be illustrated by taking a glimpse at recent developments in adult numeracy education in the United Kingdom.

We prospectively studied the in vivo dialytic clearance of iron after deferoxamine (DFO) administration in four stable iron-overloaded chronic hemodialysis patients by quantifying iron concentration in blood entering and leaving the dialyzer and in dialysate after infusions of DFO. No significant arteriovenous iron differences were demonstrated. The mean ratio of venous to arterial iron approached identity at 1.005. All dialysate concentrates used contained large amounts of iron (300–610 μg/dl). No changes in efferent versus afferent dialysate iron concentration could be demonstrated. We conclude (a) iron removal during dialysis with DFO was not demonstrated; (b) the dialysate concentrate tested contained large amounts of iron; (c) in view of potentially significant toxicity, and lack of demonstrable therapeutic benefit, caution in prescribing DFO chelation therapy for iron overload is recommended.

The focus of this chapter is on the implications of globalisation and internationalisation of education for adults returning to study mathematics at all educational levels in the post-compulsory years. These inter-related phenomena bring tensions and contradictions for mathematics educators arising from competing needs for institutions to give greater flexibility to students – who are tending to form an increasingly diverse cohort – while controlling or even reducing tuition costs: Dangers arise from the commodification of education and particularly from the assumption that mathematics, and indeed new learning technologies, are culture- and value-free. The work of Basil Bernstein forms the basis of an analytical distinction between mathematics and numeracy as different discourses with different forms of pedagogy with consequences for program design and delivery. Sociocultural activity theory is employed as a theoretical foundation for analysis of new learning technologies in order to assist developers and users in the design and appropriation of pedagogical resources. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the tensions in mathematics/numeracy education in relation to internationalisation, together with some recommendations for program developers utilising new learning technologies

I have recently received, in close succession, two reviews of the same book Mathematics and the Body: Material Entanglements in the Classroom, by Elizabeth de Freitas and Nathalie Sinclair. Judging from the reviews, this is a book which challenges many of the orthodoxies of mathematics education as it is currently constituted for many academics and practising teachers. It is clear that the book also demanded a great deal of effort on the part of the reviewers to convey their own developing understandings as well as how it might be of interest to the diversity of readers of this journal. One review was submitted by a single author, Francesca Ferrara, who prepared a very careful and thoughtful review of the book, relating it to her research interests and recent readings. Comprising about 3000 words, her submission was of typical length for such reviews. The second review was submitted by a team of doctoral students who worked with Beth Herbel-Eisenmann, their supervisor, to prepare a much longer review essay which also incorporated reflections and questions based on lengthy discussions which were enriched by their diverse theoretical and experiential backgrounds. Both reviews are to be commended, and I encourage readers to submit both single author and collaborative reviews and feel welcome to contact me as the book review editor, particularly if they are contemplating a longer review essay. Educ Stud Math (2015) 90:213 DOI 10.1007/s10649-015-9622-2

This working group for action replaced the successful 1996 ICME-8 WG 18, Adults Returning to Mathematics Education, inaugurated in recognition of the growing importance of this complex field which spans all educational levels.(See FitzSimons(ED.), 1997, for papers.) The 1996 UNESCO report Learning: The Treasure Within made the following observations.

This chapter explores adult lifelong mathematics education against the background of the increasing currency of concepts of globalisation, lifelong learning and the learning society. Lifelong mathematics education is contextualised from social, cultural, and economic perspectives. The chapter addresses issues of equity and participation, the multiple dimensions of lifelong learning, and links to economic policy. Current research and practice in adult mathematics education are examined, and the elusive nature of practice is problematised. Finally, future perspectives on adult mathematics education are considered.

Antioxidant enrichment of LDL can increase its resistance to oxidation and hence reduce its atherogenicity. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether in vivo supplementation with nonalcoholic red wine extract and quercetin can increase the oxidative resistance of LDL, and also whether the supplementation has any effect on other antioxidative micronutrients present in the blood.Twenty-one male subjects were supplemented with a placebo drink for 2 weeks and randomized into two groups. One group (n = 11) received the red wine extract (1 g/day, equivalent to 375 mL of red wine) and the other group (n = 10) quercetin (30 mg/day) for 2 weeks, followed by a 5-week washout period.In the red wine extract-supplemented group, ex vivo copper-initiated oxidation of LDL (lag phase, mean +/- SD) was 40 +/- 11 min at the baseline, and increased significantly to 47 +/- 6 min [P0.05 compared with placebo (38 +/- 4 min) and the washout values (40 +/- 5 min)]. In the quercetin-supplemented group, the lag phase was 44 +/- 11 and 40 +/- 5 min for the baseline and placebo, respectively, and increased significantly to 51 +/- 7 min [P0.05 compared with placebo and washout (41 +/- 9 min)] after supplementation. Plasma lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol) did not change during the study period. Supplementation with red wine extract or quercetin had no effect on plasma vitamin C and E, retinol, and carotenoid concentrations.Alcohol-free red wine extract and one of its components, quercetin, can inhibit LDL oxidation after in vivo supplementation; such "inhibition" is unrelated to changes in antioxidant vitamin and carotenoid concentrations.

We have previously demonstrated that CD34+ cells, selected from peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC), can be expanded in ex vivo culture and can be infused in tandem with unmanipulated PBPC with little or no toxicity. In this study, four patients (two non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), two multiple myeloma (MM)) received myeloablative conditioning prior to stem cell rescue using ex vivo expanded cells alone. The two patients with NHL received cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (CY/TBI) and the two patients with MM, busulphan and melphalan (Bu/M). One case received an inadequate CFU-GM dose, despite expansion, and in one case the expanded cells were contaminated. No definitive conclusions may therefore be drawn concerning engraftment in these two cases. However, the other two cases received high doses of committed progenitors. Following infusion of the expanded material, all four patients failed to show sustained neutrophil engraftment and none showed evidence of platelet engraftment. Back-up, unmanipulated PBPC were therefore infused on days 14, 34, 32 and 28 and subsequently all four cases achieved satisfactory engraftment of both neutrophils and platelets. In conclusion, we feel that, CD34+ cells, expanded ex vivo using the conditions described in this report, may not provide durable engraftment following fully myeloablative conditioning.

PURPOSE The objectives of this phase I study were to assess the feasibility of using cryopreserved peripheral-blood progenitor cells (PBPC) for large-scale CD34 selection and subsequent expansion, and the safety of their use for reinfusion following chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS For 10 patients with nonmyeloid malignancy, an aliquot from a PBPC harvest was recovered from liquid nitrogen, and CD34 selected using the Isolex system (Baxter Healthcare, Newbury, United Kingdom) and expanded for 8 days ex vivo in a medium free of animal proteins but supplemented with autologous serum, stemcell factor (SCF), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-3, IL-6, and erythropoietin. RESULTS The mean increase for cell number was 21-fold, for colony-forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) 139-fold, and for burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E) 114-fold. The expanded cells were reinfused in tandem with unmanipulated material (> or = 25 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg). The patients did not experience any adverse effects immediately on cell infusion or within 48 hours. The 10 index patients were compared with 10 historical controls for parameters of myelosuppressive morbidity. In this small study, there were no differences in either neutrophil or platelet recovery between the patients who received expanded cells and historical controls. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that CD34 cells can successfully be selected from cryopreserved material, expanded ex vivo on a large scale, and safely reinfused following myeloablative conditioning regimens.

This chapter investigates the current state of knowledge of teaching and learning involving adults currently or potentially participating in educational activities where mathematics (or numeracy) is involved. It addresses relevant educational issues from socio-economic, technological, and personal perspectives of participants, educators and the general community (including business and industry). These include the complexity of defining the concepts of numeracy and mathematics education, the state of adults’ knowledge and understanding of mathematics in both cognitive and affective domains, and the organisational structures (courses, curriculum, teachers, participants, teaching-learning processes) prevalent in further education. The heterogeneity of the field makes it impossible to provide a comprehensive overview, but the chapter provides a range of perspectives, and attempts to identify gaps in our current knowledge. This burgeoning field is resistant to definitive categorisation, but is being recognized as one of increasing importance to all stakeholders. We have suggested but a few of the substantial array of directions for future research, which could be informed by the disciplines of history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, to name a few. Information was gathered from a literature review, comprised mainly of journal articles, books and conference proceedings, as well as authors’ own collective experience.

The startling morphological abnormalities of sideroblastic anaemia contrasts our uncertainty about its cause. Studies are hampered by the fact that the abnormality resides in the dividing and differentiating erythroblast which is difficult to obtain pure and in large numbers, and in which many levels of metabolic control must coexist. Recent molecular biology approaches have confirmed abnormalities of erythroid delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthase as the cause of X-linked, pyridoxine-responsive sideroblastic anaemia and mitochondrial DNA deletions as the most common cause of congenital macrocytic sideroblastic anaemia. They have also identified a second X-linked sideroblastic anaemia locus linked to phosphoglycerate kinase and associated with ataxia. An association between sideroblastic anaemia and the use of an oral copper chelating agent has highlighted unexplained links between erythroid copper and iron metabolism. Management decisions in relation to pyridoxine treatment, iron reduction, family studies, genetic counselling and antenatal diagnosis have in recent years become of practical relevance to families with known cases of congenital sideroblastic anaemia and careful documentation of the clinical outcome of these cases and of other family members is invaluable. Parallel and integrated studies on the molecular biology of erythroid differentiation are revealing the range of possible controlling influences on erythroblasts and defining the circumstances for each, allowing studies on the cause of the most prevalent form of sideroblastic anaemia (the idiopathic acquired form) and those inherited forms that are not X-linked to be approached with a much clearer perspective.

The morbidity of high-dose chemotherapy has been considerably reduced by the use of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell reinfusion. Most studies have used myeloid colony-stimulating factors after stem cell reinfusion, making it difficult to determine the relative contribution of each of these variables to the early recovery of blood cells. The financial implications of colony-stimulating factor use are an area of concern as dose intensification in chemosensitive malignancies is increasingly employed. We have studied 19 consecutive patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy with and without filgrastim (Amgen, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, G-CSF) after stem cell infusion to examine its effect on the kinetics of blood cell recovery, the complications of myelosuppression and the associated costs. Analysis of the two treatment groups reveals that administration of filgrastim 10 micrograms kg-1 day-1 following stem cell reinfusion does not further accelerate haemopoietic recovery, fails to reduce the incidence of neutropenic fever or antibiotic usage and significantly increases the cost of the procedure. The results of this study do not support the routine use of filgrastim after high-dose chemotherapy and peripheral blood stem cell reinfusion.