Paper review on haematological malignancy Essay

Paper review on haematological malignancy - Essay Example One of the key enzymes of the pathways resulting in the production of prostaglandins is Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) specifically in the tissue, which is being insulted, and either on the way to transform to or has been transformed to a malignant tissue. Among these cancers, some common ones are: lung, head and neck, ovarian, uterine cervix, colorectum, and breast. Even in the presence of high level of convincing data supporting the role of COX-2 in the progression of cancer, no definitive evidence is available which provides any clue to the relationship between COX-2 and haematological cancers. Myeloma (MM) is very well described as the deregulation of the cytokine network accompanied by secretion of inflammatory cytokines. A study was carried out to look for the COX-2 deregulation in the pathogenesis of MM. For this purpose, a sample of 142 specimen form 132 patients with plasma cell dyscrasias were taken and further tested for the expression of the proteins by Western Blot (WB) method. These patients were at different stages of the diseases as far as the advancement or severity was concerned. These specimen samples were taken after the informed consent from the patients were obtained. Clinical features of all the patients were documented. Apart from WB, real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were also carried out for some specimen. Along with these, COX-2 immunochemistry as well as separation of plasma cells was also performed. For statistical inferences, descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses were done by using Cox model. Apart from the validation and assessment of MM samples and correlation between COX-2 expression and clinical parameters, the prognostic value of COX-2 expression in MM was also determined. It was found that median overall survival (OS) follow up for the study participants was 48 months and the relationship between COX-2 positive and negative was (28 months vs 52 months) and it was significantly different. While Progression Free survival (PFS) was estimated as 18 months for positive and 36 months for negative patients and it was also significantly different. COX-2 was found to be related to MM as a prognostic factor and it opened the venue for treatment options for MM as well as for more research work in the same and related areas to further explore any other associations. Significant contribution of the study The research work presented in this article is the first scientific report on the relationship between Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and Multiple Myeloma (MM). This is indeed an important finding, which adds to the available evidence on two facets: 1) apart from solid tumor, COX-2 has got a relationship with haematological malignancies especially with multiple myeloma where it showed statistically significant association with short progression free period in COX-2 positive patients as compared to COX-2 negative patients (18 vs 36 months; P < .001) and at the same time poor overall survival in COX-2 positive

Reflective Teaching in Teaching and Learning or Chilldren's Literature Research Proposal

Reflective Teaching in Teaching and Learning or Chilldren's Literature in Victorian Period for Teaching in Singapore - Research Proposal Example Overtime, other philosophers have become instrumental in developing the theory of reflective practice and among those notable are John Dewey (1933) and David Schon (1983). Dewey, much influenced by the Progressive Era of his time, employs the scientific process of generating and testing hypothesis as vital components to reflective thinking. Half a century later, David Schon revolutionised the concept of reflective practice emphasising the importance of context and experiential knowledge for continuous improvement. The integration of ideas from these two theorists is evident in current reflective practice literature. Reflective practice is borne out of the basic premise that changes in an organization starts within each individual. It is regarded as a â€Å"meaningful and effective professional development strategy† (Osterman and Kottkamp, 2004, p. 1). Although the goal remains synonymous (the development of individual competencies leading to improved organizational performance), reflective practice offers an alternative approach to traditional professional development approaches. The emergence of reflective practice in the educational setting, as discussed by Osterman and Kottkamp (2004), was a response to the failure of educational reforms to effectively address the need of academically and socially preparing students to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Educators on a daily basis â€Å"routinely juggle multiple tasks, process information on many levels, manage a continual stream of interruptions, and make on-the-spot decisions to meet the changing needs and demands in the teaching environment† (York-Barr et al., 2006, p. 2). Though teachers are guided by their knowledge, a significant margin of uncertainty accompanies their practice as a result of unpredictable circumstances that require spontaneous responses. The reflective practice