Promoviendo la justicia social a través del aprendizaje-servicio en la formación de maestros de Educación Infantil

As early childhood teacher education programs have begun to place greater emphasis on standards and accountability, there has been less focus on working with the community, and especially working on important social justice issues (Kroll, 2013). In this paper we argue that integrating service-learning and teacher education is a strategy for increasing awareness of social justice issues for young children, age three to grade three. Through the use of questionnaires and interviews to collect our data, we found that implementing a cascading service-learning model in teacher education programs has a positive transformative effect on Pre-Service Teachers. Additionally, we examined the effects of social justice service-learning projects on young children. The results from the data indicated that implementing a social justice service-learning project with these participants had a great impact or transformation on them.Como en los programas de formación del profesorado para la primera infancia han empezado a poner mayor énfasis en los estándares y la rendición de cuentas, se está haciendo menos hincapié en el trabajo con la comunidad, y especialmente en trabajos centrados en temas relevantes de justicia social (Kroll, 2013). En este artículo se argumenta que la integración del aprendizaje-servicio y la formación del profesorado es una estrategia para aumentar la conciencia sobre temas de justicia social con los niños pequeños, desde los tres años hasta tercer grado. A través del uso de cuestionarios y entrevistas para la recolección de datos, se encontró que la implementación de un modelo de aprendizaje-servicio en cascada en los programas de formación del profesorado tiene un efecto transformador positivo en profesores en formación. Además, se examinaron los efectos de los proyectos de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con niños pequeños. Los resultados de los datos indican que la implementación de un proyecto de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con estos participantes tiene un gran impacto o transformación en ellos.Os programas de formação do professorado para a primeira infância começaram a pôr maior ênfase nos padrões e a prestação de contas, dando-se menos ênfase ao trabalho com a comunidade, e especialmente em trabalhos centrados em temas relevantes de justiça social (Kroll, 2013). Neste artigo se argumenta que a integração do aprendizagem-serviço e a formação do professorado é uma estratégia para aumentar a consciência sobre temas de justiça social com as crianças pequenas, desde os três anos até o terceiro grau. Através do uso de questionário e entrevistas para a coleta de dados, encontrou-se que a implementação de um modelo de aprendizagem-serviço em cascata nos programas de formação de professores tem um efeito transformador positivo em professores em formação. Ademais, examinaramse os efeitos dos projetos de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com crianças pequenas. Os resultados dos dados indicam que a implantação de um projeto de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com estes participantes causa neles um grande impacto ou transformação

Direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts into dopaminergic neuron-like cells

Transplantation of exogenous dopaminergic neuron (DA neurons) is a promising approach for treating Parkinson's disease (PD). However, a major stumbling block has been the lack of a reliable source of donor DA neurons. Here we show that a combination of five transcriptional factors Mash1, Ngn2, Sox2, Nurr1, and Pitx3 can directly and effectively reprogram human fibroblasts into DA neuron-like cells. The reprogrammed cells stained positive for various markers for DA neurons. They also showed characteristic DA uptake and production properties. Moreover, they exhibited DA neuron-specific electrophysiological profiles. Finally, they provided symptomatic relief in a rat PD model. Therefore, our directly reprogrammed DA neuron-like cells are a promising source of cell-replacement therapy for PD

Distinct AMPA-Type Glutamatergic Synapses in Developing Rat CA1 Hippocampus

We assessed synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor (AMPAR) properties during synaptogenesis to describe the development of individual glutamatergic synapses on rat hippocampal CA1 principal neurons. Pharmacologically isolated AMPAR-mediated glutamatergic synaptic currents [evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer Collateral pathway, excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs)], had significantly greater inward-rectification at ages P5–7 compared with P8–18. These inward rectifying EPSCs demonstrated paired-pulse dependent unblocking at positive holding potentials, consistent with voltage-dependent internal polyamine block. Measurements of paired-pulse facilitation did not support altered presynaptic properties associated with inward rectification. Using asynchronous EPSCs (aEPSCs) to analyze populations of individual synapses, we found that quantal amplitudes (Q) increased across early postnatal development (P5-P18) and were directly modulated by increases in the number of activated receptors. Quantal AMPAR decay kinetics (aEPSC τdecays) exhibited the highest coefficient of variation (CV) from P5 to 7 and became markedly less variable at P8–18. At P5–7, faster quantal kinetics coexisted with much slower kinetics; only slower quantal kinetics were found at P8–18. This supports diverse quantal synaptic properties limited to P5–7. Multivariate cluster analysis of Q, CVτdecay, and median τdecay supported a segregation of neurons into two distinct age groups of P5–7 and P8–18, similar to the age-related segregation suggested by inward rectification. Taken together, these findings support synaptic, calcium permeable AMPARs at a subset of synapses onto CA1 pyramidal neurons exclusively at P5–7. These distinct synapses coexist with those sharing the properties of more mature synapses. These synapses disappear after P7 as activated receptor numbers increase with age

Light scattering properties vary across different regions of the adult mouse brain.

Recently developed optogenetic tools provide powerful approaches to optically excite or inhibit neural activity. In a typical in-vivo experiment, light is delivered to deep nuclei via an implanted optical fiber. Light intensity attenuates with increasing distance from the fiber tip, determining the volume of tissue in which optogenetic proteins can successfully be activated. However, whether and how this volume of effective light intensity varies as a function of brain region or wavelength has not been systematically studied. The goal of this study was to measure and compare how light scatters in different areas of the mouse brain. We delivered different wavelengths of light via optical fibers to acute slices of mouse brainstem, midbrain and forebrain tissue. We measured light intensity as a function of distance from the fiber tip, and used the data to model the spread of light in specific regions of the mouse brain. We found substantial differences in effective attenuation coefficients among different brain areas, which lead to substantial differences in light intensity demands for optogenetic experiments. The use of light of different wavelengths additionally changes how light illuminates a given brain area. We created a brain atlas of effective attenuation coefficients of the adult mouse brain, and integrated our data into an application that can be used to estimate light scattering as well as required light intensity for optogenetic manipulation within a given volume of tissue

Optical transmittance through different types of brain tissue.

<p>2A: Measurements using the fiber punch-through technique were taken in seven different brain areas with blue (453 nm) light. In each case, optical transmittance decreased exponentially with tissue thickness; however, the exponential decreases observed varied greatly with the type of tissue. Single measurements are represented by the respective symbols while the solid lines represent exponential fits of the data. 2B: Effective attenuation coefficients with SEMs for the seven brain areas: VNTB 19.96+/−0.26; MNTB 18.16+/−0.69; LSO 17.92+/−0.80; PPT 15.26+/−0.78; OB 14.88+/−0.74; SC 13.91+/−0.83; Cerebellum 9.76+/−0.78; all units are 1/mm. 2C: Optical power values that would need to be fed into a 100 µm diameter optical fiber when 300 µm of tissue needs to be illuminated at intensities typically used for Channelrhodopsin activation. 2D: Same as figure C except that in this example the illumination was calculated to hypothetically activate Channelrhodopsin over a distance of 600 µm from the fiber tip.</p

Brain areas that were measured with three different wavelengths, and sample size (the unit of the effective attenuation coefficient is 1/mm).

<p>Brain areas that were measured with three different wavelengths, and sample size (the unit of the effective attenuation coefficient is 1/mm).</p

Phase II Clinical Experience With the Novel Proteasome Inhibitor Bortezomib in Patients With Indolent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Purpose To determine the antitumor activity of the novel proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in patients with indolent and mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL). Patients and Methods Patients with indolent and MCL were eligible. Bortezomib was given at a dose of 1.5 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, and 11. Patients were required to have received no more than three prior chemotherapy regimens, with at least 1 month since the prior treatment, 3 months from prior rituximab, and 7 days from prior corticosteroids; absolute neutrophil count more than 1,500/μL (500/μL if documented bone marrow involvement); and platelet count more than 50,000/μL. Results Twenty-six patients were registered, of whom 24 were assessable. Ten patients had follicular lymphoma, 11 had MCL, three had small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and two had marginal zone lymphoma. The overall response rate was 58%, with one complete remission (CR), one unconfirmed CR (CRu), and four partial remissions (PR) among patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). All responses were durable, lasting from 3 to 24+ months. One patient with MCL achieved a CRu, four achieved a PR, and four had stable disease. One patient with MCL maintained his remission for 19 months. Both patients with marginal zone lymphoma achieved PR lasting 8+ and 11+ months, respectively. Patients with SLL or CLL have yet to respond. Overall, the drug was well tolerated, with only one grade 4 toxicity (hyponatremia). The most common grade 3 toxicities were lymphopenia (n = 14) and thrombocytopenia (n = 7). Conclusion These data suggest that bortezomib was well tolerated and has significant single-agent activity in patients with certain subtypes of NHL