Bacteria-Induced Uroplakin Signaling Mediates Bladder Response to Infection

Urinary tract infections are the second most common infectious disease in humans and are predominantly caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). A majority of UPEC isolates express the type 1 pilus adhesin, FimH, and cell culture and murine studies demonstrate that FimH is involved in invasion and apoptosis of urothelial cells. FimH initiates bladder pathology by binding to the uroplakin receptor complex, but the subsequent events mediating pathogenesis have not been fully characterized. We report a hitherto undiscovered signaling role for the UPIIIa protein, the only major uroplakin with a potential cytoplasmic signaling domain, in bacterial invasion and apoptosis. In response to FimH adhesin binding, the UPIIIa cytoplasmic tail undergoes phosphorylation on a specific threonine residue by casein kinase II, followed by an elevation of intracellular calcium. Pharmacological inhibition of these signaling events abrogates bacterial invasion and urothelial apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Our studies suggest that bacteria-induced UPIIIa signaling is a critical mediator of bladder responses to insult by uropathogenic E. coli

Civic Nationalism and Language-in-Education Policies in the United Arab Emirates

A founding principle of the United Arab Emirates is the belief that tolerance promotes peace, while isolation encourages division and conflict. With more than 200 nationalities residing in the UAE, Emiratis constitute only 10% of the population, making them a minority in their own country. Despite the government promoting diversity and tolerance as the norm, such demographic imbalance come with a cost to the Arabic language, the national identity and culture, and the education system. This chapter addresses those concerns through a series of recent government initiatives. The author classifies neo-nationalist movements into different types, arguing that the one in the UAE largely fits within the civic type with its non-hostile, overall welcoming attitude toward foreigners. At the end of the chapter, she discusses the impact of neo-nationalism on education and calls for clearer policies that take into account language(s) as a right and as a resource

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

English medium instruction: Global views and countries in focus

In virtually every research paper on this topic we come across we read that, in the particular context that the writer is operating, English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is on the increase. But what exactly is EMI? If we consider every classroom around the world in which learners are exposed to English language as their second language (L2) we are faced with a huge variety: English as a foreign language (EFL); Immersion, English for academic purposes; English for specific purposes, English for examination purposes, Content and language integrated learning (CLIL); content-based teaching; content-based language teaching, and so on. And then we have EMI. Here at the EMI Oxford Centre we define EMI as: The use of the English language to teach academic subjects (other than English itself) in countries or jurisdictions in which the majority of the population's first language is not English. This definition was first used in Dearden (2015)

Language Ideologies and the Experiences of International Students

Through their language policies, universities favour particular languages in the process of learning and this challenges the value, inclusion and power of other languages. This chapter explores this issue from the perspective of international students through a series of task-based focus group interviews that concentrate on the University of Helsinki language policy and which have been analysed using discourse analysis methodology. The findings suggest that while the university is supportive of the development of language proficiency and values languages in general, many languages which are present in the international student body are not used actively for study purposes.Peer reviewe

Multilingualism as Problem or Resource? : Negotiating Space for Languages Other than Swedish and English in University Language Planning

In the Nordic countries, university language policy and planning centres on balancing the use of the national language(s) vis-à-vis English, whereas less attention has been paid to the roles played by other languages. This study focuses on how space was negotiated for languages other than Swedish and English during language policy negotiations at a Swedish university. Using an ethnographic discourse analytic approach and applying an orientations to language framework, analysis reveals what languages are brought in to the negotiations to play a role in the University’s language practices and how. The analysis further reveals that languages are variously positioned as problem or resource and that the problem and resource orientations are co-present in policy negotiations