Problem based learning in architectural education

There is limited published research and discussion on pedagogical approaches in architectural education. Problem (or Project) Based Learning is used successfully in other professional disciplines, and, consequently, there have been attempts to utilise the same pedagogical approach in architectural education. This paper critically reviews PBL implementations at the Faculty of Architecture, Technical University of Delft (TUDelft), Netherlands and the De-partment of Architecture, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and draws general conclusions about the implementation of PBL in architecture and particular recommendations with respect to the teaching of architectural computing

THE IMMUNE RESPONSES OF CARP, CYPRINUS CARPIO L., FOLLOWING DIRECT IMMERSION IMMUNIZATION

The investigations presented in this thesis include studies on a) the immune responses of carp following direct immersion immunization and subsequent intraperitoneal (i.p.) challenge, b) the uptake and accumulation in carp of a direct immersion vaccine and c) phagocytic uptake by carp peritoneal exudate cells (PECs). To assess the cell-mediated immune response of carp, a micro chemotaxis technique was developed, measuring the production of chemotactic factor-like activity in supernatants from incubations of pronephric cells with antigen. In no case were serum antibody titres or a cell-mediated immune response detectable after immersions alone in antigen. It was found that an i.p. challenge of antigen in adjuvant, subsequent to the immersions, was needed to stimulate a measurable response, with effective priming immersions stimulating a secondary response to the i.p. challenge. It was found that the opsonization of both soluble and particulate immersion vaccines with immune carp serum significantly increased the immunological memory for both the humoral and the cell-mediated immune responses following immersion. Opsonization of the vaccines with normal serum, however, had no detectable effect. The cell-mediated immune responses following immersion were only measured in immunologically mature carp, but the humoral immune responses were measured in both immunologically mature and immature carp, which were 4 weeks old at the beginning of the experiments. Using the bacterial Aeromonas salmonicida antigen, all the responses measured post-immersion were found to be positive in both immunologically mature and immature carp. However, with the T-dependent antigen, human gamma globulin (HGG), the immune responses post-immersion were found to be positive only in the immunologically mature fish, with immersion of the immature carp in HGG-coated latex particles opsonized with immune serum producing a tolerizing effect on the humoral immune response. There was no detectable uptake of a non-opsonized A.salmonicida vaccine in normal carp when immersed in a bath of the vaccine. However, if the vaccine was opsonized with immune carp serum, uptake and accumulation of the vaccine was detectable, mostly accumulating in the internal lymphoid organs. Uptake of the non-opsonized vaccine was, however, also found when the recipient carp had been previously immunized against A.salmonicida, by immersion. The phagocytic uptake of particles by carp PECs was also found to be enhanced by opsonization of the particles with immune carp serum, this effect being partially recuced by decomplementation of the opsonizing serum. Opsonizat1on of particles with normal serum was found to have no effect on phagocytic uptake. Immersions in several different sizes of latex particles (from O.O5 µm to l5 µ.m) coated with HGG were found to stimulate greater humoral immunological memory than immersions in soluble HGG. This was not the case for memory for the cell-mediated response, where immersions in latex particle-bound HGG were no more stimulatory than immersions in soluble HGG. Carp PECs were found to be able to ingest 0.8 µm and 3.0 µm diameter particles but uptake of I5 µm diameter particles was not observed. The specificity of the humoral immune response after direct immersion immunization was found to be high with no cross-reactivity with any of the other antigens used. The cell-mediated immune response following direct immersion immunization was found to be slightly less specific; cross-reactivity between HGG and chicken gamma globulin was detected, although the other antigens used showed no cross-reactivity.Kingston Polytechnic, London, U.K

Preliminary evaluation of learning via the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology interactive videodisc system

pre-printAI/LEARN/Rheumatology is a level three videodisc system to teach clinical observational skills in three important diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The AI/LEARN software was developed on an independent authoring system called GALE designed for MS-DOS based computers. The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary data about the efficacy of teaching by the use of an interactive videodisc system as evaluated by examinations centered upon disease-oriented learning objectives and by attitude questionnaires. We tested the efficacy of the AI/LEARN/Rheumatology system using both medical students and residents taking the rheumatology elective. Data collected were on learning, attitudes, and ranking of curricular elements of the rotation. We kept records on the student time and search path through the interactive videodisc system. Control data were collected during 1990, before the Al/LEARN/Rheumatology program was available. Data for the treatment groups were collected during 1991 and 1992, while the trainees used the Al/LEARN/Rheumatology system. The basic difference between the control year and the treatment year curricula was the substitution of AI/LEARN/Rheumatology for three hours of lecture covering the three target diseases

Gene Expression Signature in Adipose Tissue of Acromegaly Patients.

To study the effect of chronic excess growth hormone on adipose tissue, we performed RNA sequencing in adipose tissue biopsies from patients with acromegaly (n = 7) or non-functioning pituitary adenomas (n = 11). The patients underwent clinical and metabolic profiling including assessment of HOMA-IR. Explants of adipose tissue were assayed ex vivo for lipolysis and ceramide levels. Patients with acromegaly had higher glucose, higher insulin levels and higher HOMA-IR score. We observed several previously reported transcriptional changes (IGF1, IGFBP3, CISH, SOCS2) that are known to be induced by GH/IGF-1 in liver but are also induced in adipose tissue. We also identified several novel transcriptional changes, some of which may be important for GH/IGF responses (PTPN3 and PTPN4) and the effects of acromegaly on growth and proliferation. Several differentially expressed transcripts may be important in GH/IGF-1-induced metabolic changes. Specifically, induction of LPL, ABHD5, and NRIP1 can contribute to enhanced lipolysis and may explain the elevated adipose tissue lipolysis in acromegalic patients. Higher expression of TCF7L2 and the fatty acid desaturases FADS1, FADS2 and SCD could contribute to insulin resistance. Ceramides were not different between the two groups. In summary, we have identified the acromegaly gene expression signature in human adipose tissue. The significance of altered expression of specific transcripts will enhance our understanding of the metabolic and proliferative changes associated with acromegaly

Metabolic crosstalk: molecular links between glycogen and lipid metabolism in obesity.

Glycogen and lipids are major storage forms of energy that are tightly regulated by hormones and metabolic signals. We demonstrate that feeding mice a high-fat diet (HFD) increases hepatic glycogen due to increased expression of the glycogenic scaffolding protein PTG/R5. PTG promoter activity was increased and glycogen levels were augmented in mice and cells after activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and its downstream target SREBP1. Deletion of the PTG gene in mice prevented HFD-induced hepatic glycogen accumulation. Of note, PTG deletion also blocked hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice and reduced the expression of numerous lipogenic genes. Additionally, PTG deletion reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels in obese mice while improving insulin sensitivity, a result of reduced hepatic glucose output. This metabolic crosstalk was due to decreased mTORC1 and SREBP activity in PTG knockout mice or knockdown cells, suggesting a positive feedback loop in which once accumulated, glycogen stimulates the mTORC1/SREBP1 pathway to shift energy storage to lipogenesis. Together, these data reveal a previously unappreciated broad role for glycogen in the control of energy homeostasis

Oral dosing for antenatal corticosteroids in the Rhesus macaque.

Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are standard of care for women at risk of preterm delivery, although choice of drug, dose or route have not been systematically evaluated. Further, ACS are infrequently used in low resource environments where most of the mortality from prematurity occurs. We report proof of principle experiments to test betamethasone-phosphate (Beta-P) or dexamethasone-phosphate (Dex-P) given orally in comparison to the clinical treatment with the intramuscular combination drug beta-phosphate plus beta-acetate in a Rhesus Macaque model. First, we performed pharmacokinetic studies in non-pregnant monkeys to compare blood levels of the steroids using oral dosing with Beta-P, Dex-P and an effective maternal intramuscular dose of the beta-acetate component of the clinical treatment. We then evaluated maternal and fetal blood steroid levels with limited fetal sampling under ultrasound guidance in pregnant macaques. We found that oral Beta is more slowly cleared from plasma than oral Dex. The blood levels of both drugs were lower in maternal plasma of pregnant than in non-pregnant macaques. Using the pharmacokinetic data, we treated groups of 6-8 pregnant monkeys with oral Beta-P, oral Dex-P, or the maternal intramuscular clinical treatment and saline controls and measured pressure-volume curves to assess corticosteroid effects on lung maturation at 5d. Oral Beta-P improved the pressure-volume curves similarly to the clinical treatment. Oral Dex-P gave more variable and nonsignificant responses. We then compared gene expression in the fetal lung, liver and hippocampus between oral Beta-P and the clinical treatment by RNA-sequencing. The transcriptomes were largely similar with small gene expression differences in the lung and liver, and no differences in the hippocampus between the groups. As proof of principle, ACS therapy can be effective using inexpensive and widely available oral drugs. Clinical dosing strategies must carefully consider the pharmacokinetics of oral Beta-P or Dex-P to minimize fetal exposure while achieving the desired treatment responses

Design grammars as evaluation tools in the first year studio

This paper describes a teaching experience conducted and carried out as part of the coursework of first year students. The workshop is the third of three workshops planned to take place during the course of the first year studio, aimed at introducing new ways of thinking and introducing students to a new pattern of architectural education. The experiment was planned under the theme of “Evaluation” during the final stage. A grammatical approach was chosen to deliver the methodology in the design studio, based on shape grammars