The social construction of PETE in higher education: Toward a research agenda

The focus of this paper is the social construction of physical education teacher education (PETE) and its fate within the broader process of curriculum change in the physical activity field. Our task is to map the dimensions of a research program centered on the social construction of the physical activity field and PETE in higher education. Debates in the pages of Quest and elsewhere over the past two decades have highlighted not only the contentious nature of PETE practices and structures but also that PETE is changing. This paper offers one way of making sense of the ongoing process of contestation and struggle through the presentation of a theoretical framework. This framework, primarily drawing upon the work of Lave and Wenger (1991) and Bernstein (1990, 1996), is described before it is used to study the social construction of PETE in Australia. We assess the progress that has been made in developing this research program, and the questions already evident for further developments of a program of study of the physical activity field in higher education.

The reliability of immunohistochemistry as a prescreening method for the diagnosis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) - Results of an international collaborative study

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant condition accounting for 2–5% of all colorectal carcinomas as well as a small subset of endometrial, upper urinary tract and other gastrointestinal cancers. An assay to detect the underlying defect in HNPCC, inactivation of a DNA mismatch repair enzyme, would be useful in identifying HNPCC probands. Monoclonal antibodies against hMLH1 and hMSH2, two DNA mismatch repair proteins which account for most HNPCC cancers, are commercially available. This study sought to investigate the potential utility of these antibodies in determining the expression status of these proteins in paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tissue and to identify key technical protocol components associated with successful staining. A set of 20 colorectal carcinoma cases of known hMLH1 and hMSH2 mutation and expression status underwent immunoperoxidase staining at multiple institutions, each of which used their own technical protocol. Staining for hMSH2 was successful in most laboratories while staining for hMLH1 proved problematic in multiple labs. However, a significant minority of laboratories demonstrated excellent results including high discriminatory power with both monoclonal antibodies. These laboratories appropriately identified hMLH1 or hMSH2 inactivation with high sensitivity and specificity. The key protocol point associated with successful staining was an antigen retrieval step involving heat treatment and either EDTA or citrate buffer. This study demonstrates the potential utility of immunohistochemistry in detecting HNPCC probands and identifies key technical components for successful staining.

An Ethics Core Curriculum for Australasian Medical Schools

Teaching ethics incorporates teaching of knowledge as well as skills and attitudes. Each of these requires different teaching and assessment methods. A core curriculum of ethics knowledge must address both the foundations of ethics and specific ethical topics. Ethical skills teaching focuses on the development of ethical awareness, moral reasoning, communication and collaborative action skills. Attitudes that are important for medical students to develop include honesty, integrity and trustworthiness, empathy and compassion, respect, and responsibility, as well as critical self-appraisal and commitment to lifelong education.

Health and physical education in middle schooling

The middle years of schooling are receiving increased attention. This paper gives some background to 'middle schooling' and begin discussion if physical education is to be involved in the shift that an increasing number of schools are attempting to make in order to enhance student learning. It addresses findings, innovations and changes to the field of physical education. A set of questions are posed about the relationship between the middle years of schooling, health and physical education.