Peer Coaching in a Research-Based Teachers’ Professional Learning Method for Lifelong Learning: A Perspective

Teacher professional development (PD) has been claimed to be the foundation for transforming school culture. Any PD activity with a human infrastructure that is composed of teachers, researchers, and policy makers who together form a professional learning community (PLC) situated in a local school must incorporate the team’s appreciation of collective efficacy and sense of community in the learning environment. A PLC must exemplify the concept of ongoing collaborative experiential learning through experimentation and reflection on emerging practices. It is expected, therefore, that with everyone's active involvement in the support structure, teachers' PD will be positively impacted and reflected in approaches to professional development. Fundamental to the adult learning environment is the process of collaborative inquiry where participants critically reflect on their own experiences. The process of collaborative inquiry encapsulates the notion that as teachers are regarded as lifelong learners, they need to gather insights from their experiences with the support of their colleagues to ensure that their learning process contributes to the enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. Collaborative inquiry captures the idea of co-learning PD where professional knowledge and skills are acquired and sustained in an authentic teaching environment that aims to foster sustainable changes in teaching practices. Grounded in the principles of adult learning, this article presents a methodological perspective on how educational institutions can form a professional learning community within the school context where problems from past experiences are critically examined and serve as a foundation to professionally reflect, think, and act.Il a été affirmé que le développement professionnel des enseignants est la base de la transformation de la culture scolaire. Toute activité liée au développement professionnel ayant une infrastructure humaine composée d’enseignants, de chercheurs et de décideurs qui forment une communauté d’apprentissage professionnelle (CAP) dans une école locale doit incorporer l’appréciation de l’équipe pour l’efficacité collective et le sentiment de communauté dans le milieu d’apprentissage. Une CAP doit illustrer, par l’expérimentation et la réflexion sur les pratiques émergentes, le concept de l’apprentissage expérientiel collaboratif et continu. On s’attend alors que l’implication active de tout le monde dans la structure de soutien aura un impact positif sur le développement professionnel des enseignants et sur les approches à ce cheminement.Le processus d’enquête collaborative où les participants se livrent à une réflexion critique sur leurs propres expériences constitue un élément fondamental du milieu de l’éducation des adultes. L’enquête en collaboration résume la notion qu’en tant qu’apprenants à vie, les enseignants se doivent de recueillir des connaissances de leurs expériences avec l’appui de leurs collègues et pour s’assurer que leur cheminement contribue à l’amélioration de la qualité de l’enseignement et des résultats d’apprentissage. L’enquête collaborative englobe l’idée du co-apprentissage dans le contexte du développement professionnel au cours duquel des connaissances et des habiletés professionnelles sont acquises et maintenues dans un milieu pédagogique authentique qui vise la promotion de changements durables dans la pratique enseignante. Fondée sur les principes de la formation des adultes, cet article présente une perspective méthodologique sur la formation, par les établissements d’enseignement, d’une communauté d’apprentissage professionnelle dans un milieu scolaire où les expériences du passé font l’objet d’un examen critique et servent de base à des réflexions et des actions professionnelles.Mots clés : développement professionnel, formation en cours d’emploi, perfectionnement professionnel, collaboratio

Sublingual Immunization with M2-Based Vaccine Induces Broad Protective Immunity against Influenza

The ectodomain of matrix protein 2 (M2e) of influenza A virus is a rationale target antigen candidate for the development of a universal vaccine against influenza as M2e undergoes little sequence variation amongst human influenza A strains. Vaccine-induced M2e-specific antibodies (Abs) have been shown to display significant cross-protective activity in animal models. M2e-based vaccine constructs have been shown to be more protective when administered by the intranasal (i.n.) route than after parenteral injection. However, i.n. administration of vaccines poses rare but serious safety issues associated with retrograde passage of inhaled antigens and adjuvants through the olfactory epithelium. In this study, we examined whether the sublingual (s.l.) route could serve as a safe and effective alternative mucosal delivery route for administering a prototype M2e-based vaccine. The mechanism whereby s.l. immunization with M2e vaccine candidate induces broad protection against infection with different influenza virus subtypes was explored.A recombinant M2 protein with three tandem copies of the M2e (3M2eC) was expressed in Escherichia coli. Parenteral immunizations of mice with 3M2eC induced high levels of M2e-specific serum Abs but failed to provide complete protection against lethal challenge with influenza virus. In contrast, s.l. immunization with 3M2eC was superior for inducing protection in mice. In the latter animals, protection was associated with specific Ab responses in the lungs.The results demonstrate that s.l. immunization with 3M2eC vaccine induced airway mucosal immune responses along with broad cross-protective immunity to influenza. These findings may contribute to the understanding of the M2-based vaccine approach to control epidemic and pandemic influenza infections

Calcium Hydroxide Inactivates Lipoteichoic Acid from Enterococcus faecalis

Calcium hydroxide is a widely used endodontic medicament for eliminating viable bacteria and inactivating virulence factors. Enterococcus faecalis, a pathogenic gram-positive bacterium, has been associated with refractory apical periodontitis. Because lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major virulence factor of gram-positive bacteria, we examined whether calcium hydroxide could detoxify LTA from E. faecalis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that calcium hydroxide–killed E. faecalis was less potent than heat-killed bacteria in stimulating the release of tumor necrosis factor–α by a murine macrophage line, RAW 264.7 (P < 0.05). Pretreatment of LTA with calcium hydroxide remarkably abrogated the ability of LTA to induce the release of tumor necrosis factor–α (P < 0.05). Furthermore, calcium hydroxide–treated LTA was not able to stimulate Toll-like receptor 2, which recognizes functionally intact LTA. These results suggest that calcium hydroxide could detoxify LTA, resulting in attenuation of the inflammatory responses to E. faecalis and its LTA.This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD) (KRF-2007-314-E00186) and by a grant (03-2007-0090) from the Seoul National University Dental Hospital Research Fund, Republic of Korea

Effects of ambient temperature and dietary glycerol addition on growth performance, blood parameters and immune cell populations of Korean cattle steers

Objective This study was performed to evaluate whether ambient temperature and dietary glycerol addition affect growth performance, and blood metabolic and immunological parameters, in beef cattle. Methods Twenty Korean cattle steers (405.1±7.11 kg of body weight [BW], 14.2±0.15 months of age) were divided into a conventional control diet group (n = 10) and a 2% glycerol- added group (n = 10). Steers were fed 1.6% BW of a concentrate diet and 0.75% BW of a timothy hay diet for 8 weeks (4 weeks from July 28th to August 26th and 4 weeks from August 27th to September 26th). Blood was collected four times on July 28th, August 11th, August 27th, and September 26th. Results The maximum indoor ambient temperature-humidity index in August (75.8) was higher (p<0.001) than that in September (70.0), and in August was within the mild heat stress (HS) category range previously reported for dairy cattle. The average daily gain (ADG; p = 0.03) and feed efficiency (p<0.001) were higher in hotter August than in September. Glycerol addition did not affect ADG and feed efficiency. Neither month nor glycerol addition affected blood concentrations of cortisol, triglyceride, or non-esterified fatty acid. Blood concentrations of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, glucose, and albumin were lower (p<0.05) on August 27th than on September 26 th, and blood phosphorus, calcium and magnesium concentrations were also lower on August 27th than on September 27th. Glycerol addition did not affect these blood parameters. Percentages of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were higher (p<0.05) on July 28th than on August 27th and September 26th. The blood CD8+ T cell population was lower in the glycerol supplemented-group compared to the control group on July 28th and August 27th. Conclusion Korean cattle may not be significantly affected by mild HS, considering that growth performance of cattle was better in hotter conditions, although some changes in blood metabolic and mineral parameters were observed

Calcium Hydroxide Inactivates Lipoteichoic Acid from Enterococcus faecalis through Deacylation of the Lipid Moiety

Introduction: Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major virulence factor of Enterococcus faecal is that is closely associated with refractory apical periodontitis. Recently, we have shown that calcium hydroxide, a commonly used intracanal medicament, abrogated the ability of LTA to stimulate the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha in a murine macrophage line, RAW 264.7. Because calcium hydroxide could potentially modify the glycolipid moiety of LTA, we examined if calcium hydroxide inactivates LTA through deacylation of the LTA. Methods: LTA was prepared from E. faecalis by organic solvent extraction followed by chromatography with the hydrophobic-interaction column and the ion-exchange column. RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with intact LTA or calcium hydroxide treated LTA for 24 hours, and the productions of nitric oxide (NO) and chemokines interferon-gamma induced protein (IP-10) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) were determined. The glycolipid structure of LTA was analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Results: The production of NO, IP-1, and MIP-1 alpha was augmented in LTA-stimulated cells, whereas no such effect was observed upon stimulation with calcium hydroxide pretreated LTA. Mass spectrometry showed that intact glycolipids of LTA yielded distinct mass peaks at 930 to 1,070 mass over charge (m/z) units, corresponding to dihexosyl-diacylglycerol consisting of two acyl chains with chain lengths of C(16) to C(22) and with one or two unsaturated double bonds. However, those peaks were not observed in the mass spectra of the calcium hydroxide-treated LTA. Furthermore, free fatty acids released from the calcium hydroxide-treated LTA were detected using TLC. Conclusion: We suggest that calcium hydroxide attenuates the inflammatory activity of E. faecal is LTA through deacylation of the LTA. (J Endod 2011;37:191-196)Supported by grants from Korea Research Foundation funded by the Korean Government (KRF-2008-314-E00223), from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2010-0029116), and from a Science Research Center grant to the Bone Metabolism Research Center (20100001746) funded by the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.

Gene expression profile of human peripheral b 1 lood mononuclear cells induced by 2 Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major virulence factor of Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus. Despite its pivotal role in causing sepsis, the systemic immune responses to LTA in human cells are poorly understood. Here, we produced highly-pure and structurally-intact LTA from S. aureus and examined the gene expression profile of LTA-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The LTA preparation did not contain any detectable biologically-active impurities and stimulated Toll-like receptor 2. Protein expression profiling using a cytokine array kit and ELISA revealed expression of MCP-1/CCL2, IL-6, and IL-1β. We performed transcriptional profiling of PBMCs in response to S. aureus LTA using an Affymetrix genechip microarray. A total of 208 genes were significantly (fold change>1.5 and Pb0.05) altered, with 157 up-regulated and 51 down-regulated genes in response to S. aureus LTA treatment. The up-regulated genes were involved in recognition (30 genes), cellular adhesion (6 genes), signal transduction (42 genes), co-stimulation (4 genes), chemokines, cytokines and their receptors (51 genes), apoptosis (9 genes), and negative regulation (15 genes). The down-regulated genes were involved in recognition (12 genes), antigen processing and presentation (9 genes), signal transduction (27 genes), and chemotaxis (3 genes). The microarray results were validated using real-time RT-PCR with 21 up-regulated genes and 9 down-regulated genes. Our results provide a more comprehensive overview of the transcriptional changes in PBMCs in response to S. aureus LTA, and contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiological role of S. aureus LTA during the systemic inflammatory response