117 research outputs found
REMOTE: An overview of the FLUKA particle transport code and its graphical user interface Flair
No full textAbstract:An overview shall be presented of FLUKA, a general-purpose code for the Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport, and of its powerful graphical interface Flair. FLUKA can transport over 60 particle species, including photons, leptons, hadrons and ions, at energies up to the PeV domain and down to the keV domain, with the exception of neutrons, which can be transported down to the meV. Material geometries can be described via FLUKA's combinatorial geometry package, from the simplest geometries up to elaborate geometries e.g. extended portions of the Large Hadron Collider. FLUKA accounts for the most relevant electromagnetic and hadronic interaction mechanisms, providing a self-contained approach to the simulation of coupled hadronic and electromagnetic radiation showers. FLUKA's graphical user interface Flair provides a fully integrated environment to run FLUKA, from the preparation of the input file, to the construction of the geometry, specification of the radiation source, of the quantities to be scored. Furthermore, it controls the execution of the simulation, the processing of output files, and the visualization of simulation results. To showcase the capabilities of Flair and FLUKA, several application examples shall be presented, ranging from neutronics to medical physics. Short Bio Vasilis VlachoudisDr. Vasilis Vlachoudis has a PhD in Nuclear Physics from Univ. of Bordeaux France. Currently holds a senior staff position as physicist in the Beam Matter Interactions section at CERN. The section is in charge of the FLUKA MC code development and its application to the CERN accelerator complex. Vasilis is leading the FLUKA (https://fluka.cern) code development and he is the lead author of flair (https://flair.cern) graphical interface used for FLUKA and for other MC codes. Furthermore, Vasilis has an active role in the neutron time of flight facility at CERN as responsible for the spallation target physics optimisation and design, as well as the experimental data processing chain.</p
Addressing the false positive MRI phenotype in prostate cancer diagnosis and management
No full textMultiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is set to dominate the diagnosis and active surveillance of prostate cancer. However, false positive MRIs confound clinical decision-making and prompt unwarranted biopsies that carry morbidity risks. This is a significant issue: NICE currently recommends pre-biopsy MRI in men with suspected prostate cancer and, as 80,000 patients undergo biopsy every year in England and Wales, between 12,600 to 17,300 are expected to be biopsy-negative. Furthermore, MRI in active surveillance (AS) is strongly recommended by NICE for risk stratification at baseline and for the detection of oncological progression. However, MRI-based AS is new and it is still unknown when observed dynamic MRI changes reflect true transition to clinically significant disease. Recognising this on imaging is important for optimising clinical decisions and reducing the overall number of biopsies during AS. In this thesis it will be shown that MRI lesions seen in biopsy-naïve individuals with clinically significant cancer are larger, more conspicuous and more diffusion-restricted compared to phenotypes seen in men without significant disease. Furthermore, in men with indeterminate MRI phenotypes, PSA density and index lesion ADC predict the presence of significant cancer through a logistic regression model (mean cross-validated AUC: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.67–0.87]) and could help men avoid unnecessary biopsies. It is also shown that false positive MRI phenotypes in such men arise in prostatic regions with increased overall cellularity and expanded epithelium, while assuming either focal or diffuse patterns. In addition, it is demonstrated that MRI-based AS can be safely used to monitor men with insignificant disease, as approximately 84.7% (95% CI: 82.0–87.6) and 71.8% (95% CI: 68.2–75.6) of patients remain on AS at 3 and 5 years (with those with MRI-visible disease at baseline exiting earlier). Finally, it will be shown that progressing MRI lesions during imaging-based AS have two distinct histological phenotypes: one characterised by increased overall cellularity and expansion of epithelial areas (typically seen with transition to higher grade cancer) and another by moderate, standalone stromal hyperplasia seen in cases of pathological stability, not ideally requiring biopsy. This finding could lead to the development of radiological metrics that distinguish the two progression types and spare men from unnecessary biopsies in AS contexts
The Psárský forest in the district of Prague - West as a location of school science excursion
No full textDiplomová práce NÁZEV: Psárský les v okrese Praha - západ jako lokalita přírodovědné školní exkurze AUTOR: Bc. Michala Prokopcová KATEDRA: Katedra biologie a environmentálních studií, Pedagogická fakulta, Univerzita Karlova VEDOUCÍ PRÁCE: doc. RNDr. Vasilis Teodoridis, Ph.D. ABSTRAKT Tato diplomová práce zpracovává lokalitu Psárského lesa v okrese Praha - západ jako vhodnou oblast pro realizaci přírodovědné školní exkurze. Hlavním cílem této práce byla příprava a realizace komplexní přírodovědné exkurze do Psárského lesa a ověření její edukační efektivity u žáků nižších tříd 2. stupně ZŠ formou pedagogického výzkumu. Výzkum byl uskutečněn prostřednictvím didaktických testů, které porovnávaly vstupní znalosti před exkurzí (pretest) a nabyté znalosti po exkurzi (posttest). Didaktický koncept přírodovědné exkurze do Psárského lesa byl zpracován v souladu s klíčovými aspekty oborové didaktiky biologie a na základě komplexního vyhodnocení zájmové oblasti pro plánovanou exkurzi, která tvořila podklad pro exkurzní náplň a vytipování vhodných stanovišť k exkurzním činnostem. Dále v rámci diplomové práce proběhlo navazující šetření prostřednictvím postojového dotazníku ke zjištění přínosu exkurzí ve výuce přírodopisu z pohledu žáků. Výsledky výzkumu potvrzují, že exkurze je vnímána jako efektivní a zároveň...Thesis TITLE: The Psárský forest in the district of Prague - West as a location of school science excursion AUTHOR: Bc. Michala Prokopcová DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Education, Charles University SUPERVISOR: doc. RNDr. Vasilis Teodoridis, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The aim of the thesis is to examine the Psárský forest locality in the Prague-West region as regards its suitability for a school science excursion. The principal objective of the thesis was to prepare and take a comprehensive science excursion to Psárský forest and verify its educational efficiency for pupils of lower secondary school grades by means of pedagogical research. The research was carried out through didactical tests comparing the initial knowledge before the excursion (pretest) and acquired knowledge after the excursion (posttest). The didactical concept of the science excursion to Psárský forest was elaborated in accordance with the key aspects of the field biology didactics and based on complex evaluation of the fields of interest for the excursion planned to become a basis for the excursion contents and selection of suitable places for excursion activities. In addition to this, subsequent research via the attitude questionnaire to identify the excursions benefits within natural science education from...Katedra biologie a environmentálních studiíPedagogická fakultaFaculty of Educatio
Content analyses of the textbooks of biology (natural history) for pupils with hearing impairment as a starting point for creating workbooks
No full textTITLE: Content analyses of the textbooks of biology (natural history) for pupils with hearing impairment as a starting point for creating workbooks AUTHOR: RNDr. Jana Skýbová DEPARTMENT: Biology and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague TUTOR: doc. RNDr. Vasilis Teodoridis, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: The main aim of the dissertation thesis was to perform content analyses textbooks of biology (natural history) for elementary schools dedicated for pupils with hearing impairment as a base for the special workbooks creation in accordance with curricular and legislative documents. The next aim of thesis was the realization of educational research in all elementary schools for pupils with hearing impairment in the Czech Republic that focusing on teaching process of natural sciences and work with existing (author's) special textbooks for these pupils with accent on analysis of requirements of teachers and pupils for newly created workbooks. Methods of the mentioned pedagogic research was qualitative and quantitative, i.e. questionnaire complemented by interviews. The results of empirical research using textbooks of biology (natural history) in elementary schools dedicated for pupils with hearing impairment in the Czech Republic derived from the current requirements of the teacher-..
A Case of Persistent Foot Pain in a Neurofibromatosis Type I Patient
No full textIntroduction. This is the case of a young male patient who presented to his family physician with atypical left foot pain, which was extremely resistant to analgesia and caused significant disability. Despite extensive investigations, the cause of his pain was not identified until 18 months after his initial symptoms, when the official diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) was made. Detailed review of the patient’s past history established the diagnosis of type I neurofibromatosis (NF-1), previously undetected.
Discussion. NF-1 is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by loss of function mutations of the NF1 gene in chromosome 17. Patients with this condition are at increased risk for developing MPNSTs which, however, are treatable only in early stages. Conclusion. Although monitoring NF-1 patients for the development of MPNSTs is common practice, the index of clinical suspicion in patients without an established NF-1 diagnosis is low. Any atypical pain in young adults should raise the possibility of this malignancy, and this case illustrates the fact that MPNSTs can be the first manifestation of NF-1 in patients previously undiagnosed with the disease
Students’ experiences and views on co-teaching: a systematic review
No full textFollowing the international inclusion movement, co-teaching between special and general educators has appeared as one approach to the education of students with and without disabilities in the general education classroom (Strogilos et al., 2017). Co-teaching consists of general and special educators partnering to plan, deliver, and assess instruction in a general education class where, together, they teach students with and without disabilities (Friend et al., 2010). Research on co-teaching has extensively grown in the last decades, due to the increasing number of schools which are educating students with disabilities in co-taught classrooms.Research on co-teaching has focused on its process and impact and especially the use of co-teaching models by the two educators. Seminal studies on co-teaching noted that during co-teaching both educators should be responsible for ‘instructional planning and delivery, assessment of student achievement, and classroom management’ (Nevin at al., 2008, p. 284), and highlighted that educators’ collaboration is paramount in responding to students’ needs (Thousand et al., 2006). Cook and Friend (1995) proposed a number of co-teaching models that co-teachers can select to group their students and to deliver instruction: one teacher leading while the other assists or observes (one-teach, one-assist/ observe/ circulate); both educators share the planning and delivering of instruction by each leading instruction (team teaching), the two teachers dividing students in half (parallel or alternative teaching); and dividing students in stations (station teaching). Systematic reviews on co-teaching:The last 20 years a number of reviews have been published mainly to describe teachers’ views on co-teaching (Iacono et al., 2021; Paulsrud & Nilholm, 2020; Scruggs et al., 2007; Solis et al., 2012; Strogilos et al., 2023; Van Garderen et al., 2012) or their students’ academic outcomes (King-Sears et al., 2021; Stefanidis et al., 2023). Only one review describes students’ perception on co-teaching (Wagner et al., 2023), which focuses on the identification of contextual variables surrounding co-teaching and some of its benefits and challenges. In some countries (e.g., England; DfE, 2015), the law requires the involvement of students with disabilities in decisions pertaining their education to empower a historically silenced group. Although the concept of ‘student voice’ has received increased attention, their participation in research studies depends on adult researchers’ perspectives on students’ ability to exercise influence upon their social world (Christensen & Prout, 2005). Students with and without disabilities who are educated in co-taught classes can provide valuable feedback about these experiences, which can be useful for not only researchers but for co-teachers and other school personnel striving to set up effective co-taught classes (e.g., Embury & Kroeger, 2012). Indeed, as more researchers establish lines of research that include students with and without disabilities in their studies (e.g., Leafstedt et al., 2007; Ronn-Lijenfeldt et al., 2023), students are important contributors about what does and does not promote their learning when co-taught. A systematic review on students’ views on co-teaching to synthesise all the different themes that have appeared in research studies is currently missing. The main aim of the present systematic review is to describe students’ views about a plethora of features that contribute towards students’ academic and social success in co-taught classrooms and to highlight valuable implications for policy, practice and research to improve co-teaching. The review is guided by the following research questions: What are the views of students with and without disabilities about co-teaching? What improvements can be made on co-teaching based on students’ feedback? Methods To identify studies, we undertook computerised searches in EBSCO, ERIC, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson), Open Dissertations, ProQuest Dissertations and Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science. The search dates were between June 2023 and January 1990. We used the search terms: “coteach*”; “co-teaching”; “cooperative teaching”; “co-operative teaching”; “team teaching”; and “collaborative teaching” with the boolean operator “or” between the terms to search related titles, abstracts and keywords. “Calls to the field” for unpublished studies via social media and emails to organisations (e.g., AERA). References in eligible articles were hand-searched. Two authors independently examined titles, abstracts, and full texts. The inter-rater reliability for determining eligible studies was 87%. Another author scrutinised discrepancies to 100% consensus.Eligible criteria included: (a) original published or unpublished studies with primary data from students with and/or without disabilities in co-taught classrooms; (b) K-12 grades; (c) students received instruction from general and special educators as co-teachers; (d) in English; (e) when other participants in the study (e.g., parents, teachers), data from the students were disaggregated. Exclusion criteria included: (a) research with student data that was about inclusion but not about co-teaching; (b) data from others (e.g., co-teachers) was aggregated with the student data such that disaggregation could not occur; (c) students were preservice teachers rather than in K-12 grades; (d) general and special educators as part of a larger team working together but not co-teaching; (e) research featuring student’s academic achievement (e.g., standardized tests) only; (f) research in which co-teaching appeared in the findings but was not in the research aims/questions; and (g) studies which featured students responding to social validity surveys, with queries about aspects of a newly implemented intervention. For studies which featured other participants (e.g., co-teachers), only the portion featuring students was included. There were 15,203 records identified from the search; 8,758 were excluded due to repetition. The 6,445 records remaining were screened by title and abstract. After excluding non-related articles, full-text search occurred for 179 studies, with 68 considered eligible.Each study was reviewed for quality using either the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool/checklist (CASP, 2018) for qualitative studies, or the checklist to assess quality of survey studies (Protogerou & Hagger, 2020). Findings included descriptive statistics and correlations from surveys, and themes from interviews and other qualitative methods. We employed thematic analysis (Braun et al., 2019) to elicit themes from the primary studies and to produce a narrative synthesis.Conclusions, expected outcomes or findings Our preliminary analysis elicited eight main themes about students’ views on co-teaching: Models of co-teaching, prevalence, and student preferences; the roles of co-teachers and their collaboration; student feelings; academic learning; social participation; behaviour management; belonging; and self-efficacy. Students with and without disabilities believe that co-teaching has an overall positive academic and social impact on all students. Many students with and without disabilities reported important academic benefits from both teachers. When the co-taught class was not the place they were learning best, this was attributed to teachers’ insufficient collaboration, lack of individual support for students with disabilities, or the lack of academic challenges for students without disabilities. Students with and without disabilities also reported positive views on their social participation in the co-taught classrooms, especially in relation to friendships. Other important findings include the prevalence of the “one teach, one assist/drift/observe” model and students’ preference for a variety of co-teaching models; students’ satisfaction that special educators can support all students and not just students with disabilities; and students’ view that when there is a low level of co-teachers’ collaboration occurring, this creates frustration and leads to low academic benefits. In addition, most students expressed positive feelings about having two teachers, noting that co-teaching can be fun. However, some students with disabilities were confused and frustrated when the material was difficult or when co-teachers were speaking simultaneously. Also, some felt stigmatised when the special educator was constantly working near their desk. The few studies that examined students’ belonging and self-efficacy reported high levels for both attributes and, in some cases, positive associations between them and student academic progress. Based on the above, we intent to discuss the following: improvements on co-teaching, factors related to findings, cautions about future research, and implications for policy and practice. <br/
Interobserver reproducibility of the PRECISE scoring system for prostate MRI on active surveillance: results from a two-centre pilot study
No full textWe aimed to determine the interobserver reproducibility of the Prostate Cancer Radiological Estimation of Change in Sequential Evaluation (PRECISE) criteria for magnetic resonance imaging in patients on active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer (PCa) at two different academic centres
Reply to Francesco Montorsi, Giorgio Gandaglia, Nicola Fossati, Andrea Salonia, and Alberto Briganti’s Letter to the Editor re: Vasilis Stavrinides, Francesco Giganti, Bruce Trock, et al. Five-year Outcomes of Magnetic Resonance Imaging–based Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer: A Large Cohort Study. Eur Urol 2020;78:443–51
No full textReply to Carissa E. Chu, Peter E. Lonergan, and Peter R. Carroll’s Letter to the Editor re: Vasilis Stavrinides, Francesco Giganti, Bruce Trock, et al. Five-year Outcomes of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer: A Large Cohort Study. Eur Urol 2020;78:443–51
No full text- …
