More Than Money: Making a Difference With Assistance Beyond the Grant

Examines foundation efforts beyond grantmaking such as training, advocacy, and new investment strategies to increase grantee effectiveness and impact. Assesses the benefits of such help, grantees' views, and implications. Includes case studies

Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy

How do foundations maximize their impact? What is the role of strategy? Is your foundation strategic? Are you? This groundbreaking research examines the current state of decision making at large, private, U.S. foundations. Through in-depth interviews with CEOs and program officers, the study examines foundation leaders' view and use of strategy in making decisions. Analysis of their responses reveals four categories of decision makers ranging from nonstrategic to strategic. Beyond the Rhetoric sets the stage for future CEP research on the role of strategy in creating foundation impact, and highlights practical implications for CEOs, trustees, and program staff

Prolactin activates tyrosyl phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 and phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase

Prolactin (PRL) has been demonstrated to induce tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase JAK2. The present study represents an initial effort to identify the phosphorylation repertoire of the PRL receptor (PRLR). For this purpose we have modified the rat PRLR cDNA to encode an additional N-terminal epitope specifically designed to allow the rapid purification of the PRLR and associated proteins from transfected cells. The Flag-tagged PRLR was stably expressed in the human 293 cell line. PRL induced tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins of 85, 95, and 185 kDa from 10 to 30 min after PRL stimulation. Immunoblot analysis of immunoprecipitation indicates that p85 corresponds to the 85-kDa regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3' kinase, p95 to PRLR, and p185 to insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). Both PI-3' kinase and IRS-1 appear to associate with PRLR in a PRL-dependent manner. These results thus indicate that kinases other than JAK2, namely PI-3' kinase, are activated by PRL

INTEGRATING HIGH LEVEL APPLICATIONS AND SOFTWARE COMPONENTS USING A SCADA TOOL

Abstract To build integrated high-level applications, SOLEIL is using an original component-oriented approach based on GlobalSCREEN, an industrial Java SCAD

The complex process of scaling the integration of technology enhanced learning in mainstream classrooms

The early optimism for how technology might transform teaching and learning practices in mainstream school classrooms has long faded in many countries around the world. Whilst early research findings suggested that this was due to obvious barriers such as access to the technology itself, more recent attempts to scale student-access have illuminated other factors and provided a more sound theoretical foundation for us to understanding the processes and products of scaling educational technology innovations. This keynote will use findings from key projects and initiatives to highlight what is being learned – and how this might inform future endeavours to realise a more 21st century curriculum

Statistical characterisation of bio-aerosol background in an urban environment

In this paper we statistically characterise the bio-aerosol background in an urban environment. To do this we measure concentration levels of naturally occurring microbiological material in the atmosphere over a two month period. Naturally occurring bioaerosols can be considered as noise, as they mask the presence of signals coming from biological material of interest (such as an intentionally released biological agent). Analysis of this 'biobackground' was undertaken in the 1-10 um size range and a 3-9% contribution was found to be biological in origin - values which are in good agreement with other studies reported in the literature. A model based on the physics of turbulent mixing and dispersion was developed and validated against this analysis. The Gamma distribution (the basis of our model) is shown to comply with the scaling laws of the concentration moments of our data, which enables us to universally characterise both biological and non-biological material in the atmosphere. An application of this model is proposed to build a framework for the development of novel algorithms for bio-aerosol detection and rapid characterisation.Comment: 14 Pages, 8 Figure

Prevalence of Dating Partner Violence and Suicidal Ideation Among Male and Female University Students Worldwide

This paper presents findings from the International Dating Violence study regarding the prevalence of physical assault, sexual coercion, and suicidal ideation among university students and explores the relationships between suicidal ideation and dating violence. Nearly 16,000 university students from 22 sites in 21 countries were recruited through convenience sampling. The results showed that although there were large differences between countries, the lowest rates of dating violence were still quite high. Male and female students were remarkably similar in the proportion of those who physically assaulted a partner or reported being a victim of sexual coercion. Correlation analysis revealed that perpetrators and victims of physical assault had an increased rate of suicidal ideation. Depression accounted for the relationship between dating violence and suicidal ideation. This study highlights a need for the development of universal screening and targeted services for violence, depression, and suicide prevention. © 2008 American College of Nurse-Midwives.postprin

High-resolution spatial and spatiotemporal modelling of air pollution using fixed site and mobile monitoring in a Canadian city.

The development of high-resolution spatial and spatiotemporal models of air pollutants is essential for exposure science and epidemiological applications. While fixed-site sampling has conventionally provided input data for statistical predictive models, the evolving mobile monitoring method offers improved spatial resolution, ideal for measuring pollutants with high spatial variability such as ultrafine particles (UFP). The Quebec Air Pollution Exposure and Epidemiology (QAPEE) study measured and modelled the spatial and spatiotemporal distributions of understudied pollutants, such as UFPs, black carbon (BC), and brown carbon (BrC), along with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in Quebec City, Canada. We conducted a combined fixed-site (NO2 and O3) and mobile monitoring (PM2.5, BC, BrC, and UFPs) campaign over 10-months. Mobile monitoring routes were monitored on a weekly basis between 8am-10am and designed using location/allocation modelling. Seasonal fixed-site sampling campaigns captured continuous 24-h measurements over two-week periods. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), which combined data on pollution concentrations with spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal predictor variables were used to model and predict concentration surfaces. Annual models for PM2.5, NO2, O3 as well as seven of the smallest size fractions in the UFP range, had high out of sample predictive accuracy (range r2: 0.54-0.86). Varying spatial patterns were observed across UFP size ranges measured as Particle Number Counts (PNC). The monthly spatiotemporal models for PM2.5 (r2 = 0.49), BC (r2 = 0.27), BrC (r2 = 0.29), and PNC (r2 = 0.49) had moderate or moderate-low out of sample predictive accuracy. We conducted a sensitivity analysis and found that the minimum number of 'n visits' (mobile monitoring sessions) required to model annually representative air pollution concentrations was between 24 and 32 visits dependent on the pollutant. This study provides a single source of exposure models for a comprehensive set of air pollutants in Quebec City, Canada. These exposure models will feed into epidemiological research on the health impacts of ambient UFPs and other pollutants

Age-Dependent Decline in β-Cell Proliferation Restricts the Capacity of β-Cell Regeneration in Mice

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to elucidate whether age plays a role in the expansion or regeneration of beta-cell mass.Research design and methodsWe analyzed the capacity of beta-cell expansion in 1.5- and 8-month-old mice in response to a high-fat diet, after short-term treatment with the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analog exendin-4, or after streptozotocin (STZ) administration.ResultsYoung mice responded to high-fat diet by increasing beta-cell mass and beta-cell proliferation and maintaining normoglycemia. Old mice, by contrast, did not display any increases in beta-cell mass or beta-cell proliferation in response to high-fat diet and became diabetic. To further assess the plasticity of beta-cell mass with respect to age, young and old mice were injected with a single dose of STZ, and beta-cell proliferation was analyzed to assess the regeneration of beta-cells. We observed a fourfold increase in beta-cell proliferation in young mice after STZ administration, whereas no changes in beta-cell proliferation were observed in older mice. The capacity to expand beta-cell mass in response to short-term treatment with the GLP-1 analog exendin-4 also declined with age. The ability of beta-cell mass to expand was correlated with higher levels of Bmi1, a polycomb group protein that is known to regulate the Ink4a locus, and decreased levels of p16(Ink4a)expression in the beta-cells. Young Bmi1(-/-) mice that prematurely upregulate p16(Ink4a)failed to expand beta-cell mass in response to exendin-4, indicating that p16(Ink4a)levels are a critical determinant of beta-cell mass expansion.Conclusionsbeta-Cell proliferation and the capacity of beta-cells to regenerate declines with age and is regulated by the Bmi1/p16(Ink4a)pathway

Relationship Between Biogenic Amines and Free Amino Acid Contents of Winesand Musts from Alentejo (Portugal)

The concentration of biogenic amines and free amino acids was studied in 102 Portuguese wines and 18 musts from Alentejo demarcated (D.O.C.) regions. Most wines were commercial, except for 38 monovarietals obtained by micro vinification. Musts from the varieties used to produce the latter wines were also studied. Both biogenic amines and free amino acids were analyzed by HPLC using fluorescence detection for their o-phthalaldehyde/fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (OPA/FMOC) derivatives. The most significant amines (average 10.8 mg/L for histamine+tyramine in red, and 7.4 mg/L for white wines) were found to be present at low levels and, although no important relationship between each individual biogenic amine could be obtained, the total amine content depends significantly on the assimilable amino acid content in wine