Teaching and Learning SoTL: Preparing future faculty in a pedagogy course

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) offers a way of equipping graduate students for monitoring, assessing, and reflecting on their teaching and their students’ learning in higher education. After reviewing recent literature about the ways graduate students prepare for teaching, this essay presents an example of one way SoTL can inform teaching and teacher education as part of a graduate seminar. When a SoTL approach was integrated into a course about teaching in higher education, the course itself became a faculty-graduate student collaborative project. This essay demonstrates the potent circularity of the reflective teaching practice that drives the course and inspires similar practice in its students, which in turn informs subsequent iterations of the course

Preparation and Characterization of 3 nm Magnetic NiAu Nanoparticles

Using PAMAM dendrimers as nanoparticle templates, a synthetic route to prepare 3 nm magnetic NiAu nanoparticles was developed. Aqueous solutions of hydroxyl-terminated generation 5 PAMAM dendrimers in 25 mM NaClO4 were shown to bind aqueous NiII. Coreduction of NiII and AuIII salts yielded bimetallic dendrimer stabilized nanoparticles, which were extracted into toluene with decanethiol. Characterization of the resulting monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) with transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible, atomic absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies suggested that the MPCs had substantial surface enrichment in Au. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements at 5 K show the bimetallic MPCs to have low coercivity and saturation magnetization relative to bulk Ni. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies using the Evans method showed the bimetallic nanoparticles retain magnetic properties at ambient temperatures

Time and Financial Transfers Within and Beyond the Family

Research on time and financial transfers is often conducted along two distinct lines—transfers within the family and transfers beyond the family—without considering the fact that these transfers are actually interrelated. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this article investigates the links between the two groups of transfers. Transfers within and beyond the family were found to be complements. Income and wealth are strong predictors of financial transfers. Black and Hispanic families lag systematically in the generosity to help the people both within and beyond their families.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43105/1/10834_2006_Article_9013.pd

Surfactant replacement and open lung concept – Comparison of two treatment strategies in an experimental model of neonatal ARDS

Background: Several concepts of treatment in neonatal ARDS have been proposed in the last years. The present study compared the effects of open lung concept positive pressure ventilation (PPVOLC) with a conventional ventilation strategy combined with administration of two different surfactant preparations on lung function and surfactant homoeostasis. Methods: After repeated whole-lung saline lavage, 16 newborn piglets were assigned to either PPVOLC(n = 5) or surfactant treatment under conventional PPV using a natural bovine (n = 5) or a monomeric protein B based surfactant (n = 6). Results: Comprehensive monitoring showed each treatment strategy to improve gas exchange and lung function, although the effect on PaO2and pulmonary compliance declined over the study period in the surfactant groups. The overall improvement of the ventilation efficiency index (VEI) was significantly greater in the PPVOLCgroup. Phospholipid and protein analyses of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed significant alterations to surfactant homoeostasis in the PPVOLCgroup, whereas IL-10 and SP-C mRNA expression was tendentially increased in the surfactant groups. Conclusion: The different treatment strategies applied could be shown to improve gas exchange and lung function in neonatal ARDS. To which extent differences in maintenance of lung function and surfactant homeostasis may lead to long-term consequences needs to be studied further

Sildenafil attenuates pulmonary inflammation and fibrin deposition, mortality and right ventricular hypertrophy in neonatal hyperoxic lung injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition with sildenafil has been used to treat severe pulmonary hypertension and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease in very preterm infants who were mechanically ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sildenafil treatment was investigated in 2 models of experimental BPD: a lethal neonatal model, in which rat pups were continuously exposed to hyperoxia and treated daily with sildenafil (50–150 mg/kg body weight/day; injected subcutaneously) and a neonatal lung injury-recovery model in which rat pups were exposed to hyperoxia for 9 days, followed by 9 days of recovery in room air and started sildenafil treatment on day 6 of hyperoxia exposure. Parameters investigated include survival, histopathology, fibrin deposition, alveolar vascular leakage, right ventricular hypertrophy, and differential mRNA expression in lung and heart tissue.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Prophylactic treatment with an optimal dose of sildenafil (2 × 50 mg/kg/day) significantly increased lung cGMP levels, prolonged median survival, reduced fibrin deposition, total protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, inflammation and septum thickness. Treatment with sildenafil partially corrected the differential mRNA expression of amphiregulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 in the lung and of brain and c-type natriuretic peptides and the natriuretic peptide receptors NPR-A, -B, and -C in the right ventricle. In the lethal and injury-recovery model we demonstrated improved alveolarization and angiogenesis by attenuating mean linear intercept and arteriolar wall thickness and increasing pulmonary blood vessel density, and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sildenafil treatment, started simultaneously with exposure to hyperoxia after birth, prolongs survival, increases pulmonary cGMP levels, reduces the pulmonary inflammatory response, fibrin deposition and RVH, and stimulates alveolarization. Initiation of sildenafil treatment after hyperoxic lung injury and continued during room air recovery improves alveolarization and restores pulmonary angiogenesis and RVH in experimental BPD.</p

Mutations in the Mitochondrial Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase Cause a Neurodegenerative Phenotype in Flies and a Recessive Ataxia (ARSAL) in Humans

The study of Drosophila neurodegenerative mutants combined with genetic and biochemical analyses lead to the identification of multiple complex mutations in 60 patients with a novel form of ataxia/leukoencephalopathy

Effects of Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibition on Alveolarization and Hyperoxia Toxicity in Newborn Rats

International audienceBACKGROUND: Prolonged neonatal exposure to hyperoxia is associated with high mortality, leukocyte influx in airspaces, and impaired alveolarization. Inhibitors of type 4 phosphodiesterases are potent anti-inflammatory drugs now proposed for lung disorders. The current study was undertaken to determine the effects of the prototypal phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor rolipram on alveolar development and on hyperoxia-induced lung injury. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: Rat pups were placed under hyperoxia (FiO2>95%) or room air from birth, and received rolipram or its diluent daily until sacrifice. Mortality rate, weight gain and parameters of lung morphometry were recorded on day 10. Differential cell count and cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage and cytokine mRNA levels in whole lung were recorded on day 6. Rolipram diminished weight gain either under air or hyperoxia. Hyperoxia induced huge mortality rate reaching 70% at day 10, which was prevented by rolipram. Leukocyte influx in bronchoalveolar lavage under hyperoxia was significantly diminished by rolipram. Hyperoxia increased transcript and protein levels of IL-6, MCP1, and osteopontin; rolipram inhibited the increase of these proteins. Alveolarization was impaired by hyperoxia and was not restored by rolipram. Under room air, rolipram-treated pups had significant decrease of Radial Alveolar Count. CONCLUSIONS: Although inhibition of phosphodiesterases 4 prevented mortality and lung inflammation induced by hyperoxia, it had no effect on alveolarization impairment, which might be accounted for by the aggressiveness of the model. The less complex structure of immature lungs of rolipram-treated pups as compared with diluent-treated pups under room air may be explained by the profound effect of PDE4 inhibition on weight gain that interfered with normal alveolarization

Incidence of parasitoids and predators on eggs of seven species of Therididae (Araneae)

Although many characteristics of the egg sacs of spiders likely evolved to reduce the effect of parasites and predators that attack their eggs, many parasite and predator insects have become specialized on spider eggs. Eggs of six of the seven species of Theridiidae included in this study were attacked by wasp parasites (Baeus achaearaneus, Idris sp., and Comastichus zopheros), and two by the specialized spider egg predator (Neuroptera: Zeugomantispa minuta). The incidence of parasites in the egg sacs varied across species. Parasites attacked more than 60% of the egg sacs of Tidarren sisyphoides and Parasteatoda tepidariorum, but none of the sacs of Latrodectus geometricus. The incidence of parasites in the egg sacs was higher during the dry season for T. sisyphoides, and during the rainy season for P. tepidariorum. The proportion of the eggs parasitized per egg sac varied from 0.09 (± 0.19) in Nesticodes rufipes to 0.50 (± 0.46) in T. sisyphoides. Differences in the biology of parasites, as well as in the structure of spider webs and hábitat preference of spiders, may influence the incidence of parasitism and proportion of eggs parasitized in each egg sac.Vicerrectoría de InvestigaciónUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biologí

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: clinical aspects and preventive and therapeutic strategies

Abstract Background Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the result of a complex process in which several prenatal and/or postnatal factors interfere with lower respiratory tract development, leading to a severe, lifelong disease. In this review, what is presently known regarding BPD pathogenesis, its impact on long-term pulmonary morbidity and mortality and the available preventive and therapeutic strategies are discussed. Main body Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is associated with persistent lung impairment later in life, significantly impacting health services because subjects with BPD have, in most cases, frequent respiratory diseases and reductions in quality of life and life expectancy. Prematurity per se is associated with an increased risk of long-term lung problems. However, in children with BPD, impairment of pulmonary structures and function is even greater, although the characterization of long-term outcomes of BPD is difficult because the adults presently available to study have received outdated treatment. Prenatal and postnatal preventive measures are extremely important to reduce the risk of BPD. Conclusion Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a respiratory condition that presently occurs in preterm neonates and can lead to chronic respiratory problems. Although knowledge about BPD pathogenesis has significantly increased in recent years, not all of the mechanisms that lead to lung damage are completely understood, which explains why therapeutic approaches that are theoretically effective have been only partly satisfactory or useless and, in some cases, potentially negative. However, prevention of prematurity, systematic use of nonaggressive ventilator measures, avoiding supraphysiologic oxygen exposure and administration of surfactant, caffeine and vitamin A can significantly reduce the risk of BPD development. Cell therapy is the most fascinating new measure to address the lung damage due to BPD. It is desirable that ongoing studies yield positive results to definitively solve a major clinical, social and economic problem