Potentials of AMDAL Kebudayaan

This is the third of three conferences over the past year focused on the effects of digital technologies on the cultures of the Southeast Asian nations for which I have been invited to deliver a talk. The first time was related to the roles of cultural heritage in the 4.0 industrial revolution. The second reexamined culture after the digital turn. This time, the task is articulating art, design, and education to reinforce cultural sustainability in the disruptive era. Hence, I propose to reflect on the growing recognition of the linkages between biological and cultural diversity, particularly in terms of the sustainable development paradigm. In view of that, I want to invite everyone to consider the potentials of AMDAL Kebudayaan (cultural environmental impact assessment) in policies and in application. Keywords: AMDAL Kebudayaan, biocultural diversity, arts, cultural sustainabilit

On Women and the Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue Through The Arts

This paper seeks to bring to the foreground the praxis of interreligious and intercultural dialogue through the arts in the field of Interreligious Studies. In particular, it looks at the unfolding of collaborative artistic offerings made by women from diverse cultures and faiths of Indonesia from 2000 to 2015 at the local level during cultural events held in Bali to the international level of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week. By doing so, it hopes to show how the arts can embody the centuries-old principle of bhinneka tunggal ika (unity in diversity) today to support interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for world peace

Tetramerization reinforces the dimer interface of MnSOD.

Two yeast manganese superoxide dismutases (MnSOD), one from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria (ScMnSOD) and the other from Candida albicans cytosol (CaMnSODc), have most biochemical and biophysical properties in common, yet ScMnSOD is a tetramer and CaMnSODc is a dimer or "loose tetramer" in solution. Although CaMnSODc was found to crystallize as a tetramer, there is no indication from the solution properties that the functionality of CaMnSODc in vivo depends upon the formation of the tetrameric structure. To elucidate further the functional significance of MnSOD quaternary structure, wild-type and mutant forms of ScMnSOD (K182R, A183P mutant) and CaMnSODc (K184R, L185P mutant) with the substitutions at dimer interfaces were analyzed with respect to their oligomeric states and resistance to pH, heat, and denaturant. Dimeric CaMnSODc was found to be significantly more subject to thermal or denaturant-induced unfolding than tetrameric ScMnSOD. The residue substitutions at dimer interfaces caused dimeric CaMnSODc but not tetrameric ScMnSOD to dissociate into monomers. We conclude that the tetrameric assembly strongly reinforces the dimer interface, which is critical for MnSOD activity

Co-creation via student internships

Internships offer an attractive model to facilitate student co-creation. This session will look at the benefits of such an approach in a project focussing on the employment of student interns within the STEM faculty of the Open University. Interns were recruited exclusively from minoritised student groups as defined by the University's Access and Participation Plan. Project evaluations demonstrated both the importance of intern autonomy in the design of the project and the associated high-quality impact of the intern voice in staff training and development spaces

Post-denial Strategies: How to Get from No to Yes

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seems to be denying more petitions than ever these days. Cases that were solid approvals a few years ago now are receiving denials, even though the law and regulations have not changed. But don’t give up hope. Opportunities exist to overcome denials. This practice advisory focuses on post-denial strategies for petitions filed with USCIS, not strategies in immigration court. The article discusses motions to reopen, motions for reconsideration, appeals to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), and litigation. This practice advisory also discusses when filing a new petition may be a better option, and how the beneficiary’s status, including unlawful presence, may affect the options

Post-denial Strategies: How to Get from No to Yes

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seems to be denying more petitions than ever these days. Cases that were solid approvals a few years ago now are receiving denials, even though the law and regulations have not changed. But don’t give up hope. Opportunities exist to overcome denials. This practice advisory focuses on post-denial strategies for petitions filed with USCIS, not strategies in immigration court. The article discusses motions to reopen, motions for reconsideration, appeals to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), and litigation. This practice advisory also discusses when filing a new petition may be a better option, and how the beneficiary’s status, including unlawful presence, may affect the options

Impact of cytological sampling on EGFR mutation testing in stage III-IV lung adenocarcinoma

Objectives. There have been advances in the identification and understanding of molecular subsets of lung cancer, defined by specific oncogenic aberrations. A number of actionable genetic alterations have been identified, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. We aimed to establish the reasons why patients were not undergoing EGFR mutation testing at the time of histological diagnosis. Methods. The records of 70 patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung managed through a single multidisciplinary team at a single institution were reviewed. Data were collected on method of tumour sample collection, whether this was sent for EGFR testing, and the result. Results. Seventy patients were identified. In 21/25 (84%) cases, cytological sampling was sufficient for EGFR mutation analysis, compared with 40/45 (89%) cases with histological sampling. EGFR mutation testing was not carried out in 22/70 (31.4%) patients. There was insufficient tumour sample for EGFR testing in 9/22 (40.9%) patients. Other reasons for not testing included poor patient fitness and problems in the diagnostic pathway. Conclusions. In this series, cytological tumour sampling was not the predominant reason why cancers failed to have EGFR mutation status established

RN Perception of Mentoring in a Hospital Environment

Background: Baptist Health South Florida currently has a formal mentoring program. Although there has been good attendance with the mentoring classes, the participants fail to commit to formal mentoring. Consequently, system-wide, there are few formally trained mentors. Purpose:This study was to understand the nurse mentoring culture within a hospital environment as well as identify and analyze the barriers to nurse mentoring using a focus group methodology. Methods: This qualitative study explored nurse perceptions of a mentoring culture within a hospital environment. Open-ended, conversational-style interviewing techniques with a semi-structured interview guide followed by probes to elicit more specific information were used to gain a full description of each nurse’s perceptions. Results: A structural model of mentoring as perceived by hospital nurses was developed from the data. Five overarching themes with corresponding subthemes emerged from the focus group data. (1) Mentoring culture: various mentoring models, informal vs formal, leader focused, and evolving. (2) Benefits: connections, development, retention, stability, patient safety, and making a difference. (3) Barriers: time, patients/patience, competition, knowledge deficit regarding mentor verses preceptor roles, lack of incentives, receptiveness, and voluntold. (4) Experience with mentoring: going above and beyond, lifetime relationships, personal/professional growth, feeling cared for. (5) Paradigm shift: match generational and cultural differences, resources, face to face, and voluntary. Conclusions: The study results have identified mentoring as an integral aspect of personal and professional growth within the hospital environment. The rewards of mentoring or being mentored translated into increased retention, and nurse satisfaction. However there are identified barriers that need to be overcome. The most notable finding was the distinct knowledge deficit regarding the role and responsibilities of a mentor verses a preceptor in the hospital environment