Interactive transfer guide: sharing knowledge from the ESRALE project

The Interactive Transfer Guide (ITG) is an expert resource that summarises and points users to where they can find the full details of the distinctive knowledge developed as part of the ESRALE project, including the key outputs and lessons learned. It is designed to be used by a range of parties interested in developing and innovating the professional provision of adult education across Europe

The Doubleness of International Double Degree Programs at Ontario Universities: Challenges and Prospects for Global Citizenship Education

The Doubleness of International Double Degree Programs at Ontario Universities: Challenges and Prospects for Global Citizenship Education This research explores transatlantic partnerships in higher education, specifically the international double degree programs (IDDPs) as strategic venues for fostering global citizenship at Ontario Universities. In fact, the advent of internationalization of higher education has compelled universities to connect with others around the world in the pursuit of world class status to remain competitive in attracting funds, academic talents and international students. IDDPs are partnerships between two or more universities located in different countries that allow for student mobility and academic collaboration. Students registering in these programs are required to spend half of their time in each partnering university to complete their academic requirements. This doctoral research is a hermeneutic phenomenological study on the lived-experiences on current students and graduates of IDDPs at the University of Ottawa and Western University in partnership with universities in France. The character of these programs resides in the ‘doubleness’ engendered in the IDDPs: the geo-cultural experiential learning for students to evaluate and appreciate the intricacies of living in two different countries with the potential for identity hybridization and the cultivation of cosmopolitan virtues in this increasingly interconnected world. Fourteen students and three university administrators were interviewed as stakeholders of the IDDPs. Although findings reveal a positive participant perceptions of these academic programs, there are many challenges for IDDPs that include insufficient curricular and extra-curricular programming to facilitate immersive experience within students’ host communities whilst completing their study-abroad requirements, and linguistic and financial barriers inhibiting prospective growth and expanded access. The findings of this research can inform policy and practice reform in study abroad programming. Keywords: international double degree programs, cotutelle, global citizenship, cosmopolitanism, internationalization, hermeneutic phenomenolog

Internationalization of Studies and Research – The Example of the Integrated French-German Law Curriculum at the University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense

Legal experts of international firms need a sound knowledge of national law systems and international law. In view of decision-making processes that assume a global perspective rather than the perspective of one centralized headquarters, they need appropriate human resources from many countries with employees who can combine legal, technical and economic advice. The requirement is a knowledge of methods to cope with new and unknown law systems. The role of the law faculty is to put students in the position to understand what law is, to train their abilities of being able to identify legal problems and find appropriate solutions to them. Faculties should aim at equipping their students with the tools and methods that will later put them in a position to achieve these goals. Law faculties have to adapt law curriculums to the requirements of education of international legal experts. For this reason, the teaching of intercultural skills and judicial terminology in foreign languages takes an important part in the law curriculum. These special programs begin at an early stage of law [email protected]é Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défens

Activités amylase et lichenase d'une nouvelle souche de Bacillus. Production sur milieu solide et caractérisation.

L objectif de cette thèse était d isoler de nouvelles glycoside-hydrolases à partir d une souche de Bacillus issue d un Biotope sud-tunisien. Cette souche a montré des potentialités à produire une amylase et une lichenase à 45C et à pH 9. La production de ces deux hydrolases a été optimisée en fermentation solide sur millet, une agro-ressource de faible coût. Cette optimisation a été conduite en adoptant la méthodologie des plans d expériences. Nous avons ainsi obtenu des niveaux de production de l ordre de 540 Unités d activités amylase par gramme de substrat solide et 503 U/g d activité lichenase. Ces deux protéines ont été par la suite purifiées et caractérisées biochimiquement. L amylase présente un pH et une température d activité optimaux de 5 et 70C, respectivement. La lichenase a montré une thermoactivité et une thermostabilité remarquables qui la distinguent des lichenases précédemment décrites. En effet, l enzyme conserve plus de 20% de son activité à 100C, et plus de 60% de son activité après une incubation de 30 min à 90C. Le gène codant pour cette protéine a été isolé par la construction d une banque fosmidique dans E. coli. La comparaison de sa séquence avec la banque de données NCBI a montré que le gène de la lichenase UEB-S possède une très forte homologie avec celle de Bacillus subtilis 168, avec les positions de deux acides aminés seulement qui divergent. Un modèle de la lichenase construit au cours de cette étude laisse supposer que l un de ces deux acides aminés (Val 69) pourrait être impliqué dans sa thermostabilité, et ce en modifiant la géométrie du site de fixation au calciumThe aim of this thesis was to isolate new glycoside hydrolases from a Bacillus strain isolated from a Biotope in the south of Tunisia. This strain was able to produce a lichenase and an amylase at 45 C and pH 9. The production of these two hydrolases was optimized in solid state fermentaion using millet, a low cost. agro-resource as solid substrate. This optimization was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Doehlert design. We obtained production levels of around 540 units of amylase activity per gram of solid substrate and 503 U / g of lichenase activity.Both proteins were subsequently purified and characterized biochemically. The amylase has a pH and a temperature optimum of activity of 5 and 70 C, respectively. The lichenase showed a remarkable thermostability which distinguish it from described lichenases. Indeed, the enzyme retained more than 20% of its activity at 100 C, and more than 60% of its activity after incubation for 30 min at 90 C. The gene encoding this protein was isolated by the construction of genomic a library in E. coli. Comparison of its sequence with the NCBI database showed that the gene coding for UEB-S lichenase has a very high homology with that of Bacillus subtilis 168, with a difference in the position of only two amino acids A model for UEB-S lichenase built during this study suggests that one of these two amino acids (Val 69) could be involved in its thermostability probabely by changing the geometry of the calcium binding siteTOULOUSE-INSA-Bib. electronique (315559905) / SudocSudocFranceF

Obtenção de peptídeos e peptidomiméticos de Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum (Solanaceae) visando atividade antibiofilme

O biofilme é uma matriz complexa, composta por comunidades de microrganismos envoltos em substâncias poliméricas extracelulares, aderidas a uma superfície biótica (tecidos e órgãos) ou abiótica (cateteres e próteses). O biofilme apresenta vários benefícios às bactérias devido à existência dessa matriz que confere resistência e tolerância aos antibioticos. Staphylococcus epidermidis é uma das bactérias com grande relevância clínica devido à sua capacidade de formar biofilmes em dispositivos médicos, tais como, marca-passos, cateteres urinários e próteses. Neste contexto, os peptídeos têm sido propostos como uma alternativa importante, tanto para tratamento de biofilmes, quanto como agentes anti-infecciosos de superfície. Este estudo consiste na identificação de novos peptídeos naturais e sintéticos, derivados da pimenta Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum, com atividade antibiofilme e no planejamento de seus peptidomiméticos. Por conseguinte, foi selecionado e estudado extensivamente um peptídeo de referência que apresentou a melhor atividade antibiofilme contra S. epidermidis. Este peptídeo atua através de um novo mecanismo de ação que descrevemos e chamamos de "anti-montagem de matriz" (AMM). Caracterizamos a atividade antibiofilme desse peptídeo, que age através do novo mecanismo de ação AMM independente da regulação celular, não apresentando citotoxicidade. Esses resultados nos permitiram patentear o peptídeo em questão: Europe nºEP19305205.7. Apresentamos ainda duas revisões, uma abordando a relação estrutura atividade entre peptídeos e a atividade antibiofilme e a outra abordando o uso de peptidomiméticos antibiofilme como uma perspectiva. A estratégia com o planejmaneto de peptidomiméticos é criar pequenas moléculas semelhantes ao peptídeo de referência. Estes peptidomiméticos mantêm as capacidades inerentes ao peptídeo principal, porém são mais resistentes a proteases e / ou mais ativos.Le biofilm est une matrice complexe, composée de substances polymères extracellulaires enveloppant des communautés de micro-organismes, adhérant à une surface biotique (tissus et organes) ou abiotique (cathéters et prothèses). Le biofilm confère aux bactéries de nombreux avantages en tant que cette matrice qui améliore leur résistance et tolérance aux antibiotiques. Staphylococcus epidermidis est l'une des bactéries cliniques importantes en raison de sa capacité à former des biofilms sur des dispositifs médicaux, notamment les stimulateurs cardiaques, les cathéters urinaires et les prothèses. Dans ce contexte, les peptides ont été proposés comme une alternative importante, que ce soit en tant que traitement médicamenteux de biofilms ou en tant qu’agents de surfaces anti-infectieux. Cette étude porte sur l’identification de nouveaux peptides naturels et synthetiques antibiofilm issus du piment Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum et dans la planification de leurs peptidomimétiques. Un peptide majeur responsable de l'activité antibiofilm contre S. epidermidis a été sélectionné et étudié de manière approfondie. Il agit par un nouveau mécanisme d'action que nous nommons « anti-assemblage de la matrice » (AAM). Nous caractérisons l'activité antibiofilm de ce peptide, qui agit par le nouveau mécanisme d'action AMM indépendant de la régulation cellulaire et ne présente pas de cytotoxicité. Ces résultats nous ont permis de breveter ce peptide : Europe n ° EP19305205.7. Nous présentons également deux revues, l’une portant sur la relation de structure et d’activité entre les peptides et l’activité anti-biofilm et l’autre sur l’utilisation des peptidomimétiques anti-biofilm comme perspective. La stratégie des peptidomimétiques consiste à créer de petites molécules similaires au peptide de référence. Ces peptidomimétiques conservent les capacités inhérentes au peptide parent, mais sont plus résistants aux protéases et / ou plus actifs.Biofilm is a complex matrix, composed of extracellular polymeric substance wrapping microorganisms communities, adhered to a biotic (tissues and organs) or abiotic (catheters and prostheses) surface. Biofilm confers to bacteria many benefits due to the production of this matrix that improves their resistance and tolerance to antibiotics. Staphylococcus epidermidis is an important clinical bacteria, able to form biofilm on medical devices such as pacemakers, urinary catheters and prostheses. In this context, peptides have been proposed as an important alternative as a treatment to biofilms or as anti-infective surface agents. This study focuses on the identification of new antibiofilm natural and synthetic peptides from the Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum pepper and their peptidomimetic design. As a result, a lead peptide responsible for the antibiofilm activity against S. epidermidis was selected and extensively studied. It acts by a new mechanism of action that we call "matrix anti-assembly" (MAA). We characterize the antibiofilm activity of this peptide, which acts through the new mechanism of action AMM independent of cellular regulation, and does not present cytotoxicity. These results allowed us to patent this peptide: Europe No. EP19305205.7. We also present two reviews, one addressing the structure activity relationship between peptides and the antibiofilm activity and the other approaching the use of antibiofilm peptidomimetics as a perspective. The strategy with the design of peptidomimetics is to create small molecules similar to the reference peptide. These peptidomimetics retain the inherent capabilities of the parent peptide, but are more resistant to proteases and / or more active

Researcher Mobility Workshop Report: Researcher mobility among APEC economies

There is growing acknowledgement around the world that contemporary research is increasingly – and needs to be – international. In a globalised world common problems can only be solved through the sharing of expertise and pooling of resources. At the same time, research developments are critical in stimulating economic growth in knowledge economies. Ensuring that researchers can access best practice through international research collaboration is essential in facilitating innovation. Policies and structures can go a long way to supporting increased international research collaboration. Online communication technologies have become a vital part of researcher mobility, enabling researchers to unite in conducting collaborative research across the world. It is inevitable that policy makers may regard communication developments as taking the place of physical researcher mobility and hence reducing the cost involved. Research indicates, however, that face-to-face interaction remains vital in successful research collaborations, particularly at the early stage of projects and when multi-disciplinary approaches are required1. This is due to the role of face-to-face interaction in creating trust between researchers. Thus, international research collaborations are fundamentally premised on researcher mobility and, hence, researcher mobility lies at the core of efforts to enhance the quality, impact and capacity of research to inform innovation in all APEC economies. This report has been written for the APEC Researcher Mobility Workshop, held in Jakarta in December 2015. Chapters 1 to 7 were prepared to stimulate consideration of the issues surrounding researcher mobility. They provide an overview of pertinent literature, case studies, data sets and policy of relevance to the topics that were discussed at the workshop. Chapter 8 provides a report on discussions at the workshop and identifies recommendations made by workshop participants