Learning histology – dental and medical students' study strategies

PurposeHistology, the science of cells and tissues at the microscopic level, is an integral component of most dental and medical curricula and is often taught using both traditional and novel computer‐based didactic approaches. The purpose of this study was to analyse the strategies used by dental and medical students when studying this very visual and challenging subject.MethodsData were collected from 75 dental and 143 medical students, who had almost identical histology learning resources at their disposal.ResultsWhen compared with their medical counterparts, dental students view histology as a more difficult subject and as less relevant for their future career. Whereas dental students, who are required to attend class unlike medical students, made more use of in‐classroom learning opportunities, they did not take as much advantage of out‐of‐classroom resources. In addition, dental students reported a significantly higher tendency than medical students to work together, rather than to study alone.DiscussionSmall differences in the dental versus the medical learning environment associate with several observed differences in learning strategies that are adopted by dental and medical students.ConclusionsThese differences should be considered when teaching the subject of histology to dental or to medical students.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111121/1/eje12104.pd

Evaluation of Teacher Training Needs in Engineering Pedagogy

In European countries, primarily in German-speaking countries, first of all, in Germany (Dresden), the concept of engineering pedagogy (EP) has existed for more than 70 years. In Eastern Europe, particularly in the Russian Federation, the tradition of EP has more than 20 years and shows an extensive network of universities actively participating in IGIP (International Society of Engineering Pedagogy). Several universities offer the IGIP curricula and work on various projects  related to majoring in engineering education and pedagogy in Russian Higher Education Institutions. In Spanish-speaking countries the concept of EP is relatively recent. Particularly, since 2014, the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden) works in cooperation with Chilean universities to strengthen engineering pedagogy and education in the university context. This goal was concretized through two cooperation projects “Engineering Didactics at Chilean Universities” (PEDING-Project) and “Strengthening engineering training at Chilean universities through practice partner-ships” (STING-Project), both financially supported by DAAD. The main goal of this paper is to present the results of a survey about teaching needs in engineering pedagogy in a Chilean university. In general, the results showed the high level of interest and motivation that a training course on engineering pedagogy specifically oriented for the academic staff of engineering faculties may have. The project was led by the International Center of Engineering Education (CIEI) at the University of Talca (Chile) under the pedagogical support of the TU Dresden (Germany)

Mitochondrial precursor proteins are imported through a hydrophilic membrane environment

We have analyzed how translocation intermediates of imported mitochondrial precursor proteins, which span contact sites, interact with the mitochondrial membranes. F1-ATPase subunit β(F1β) was trapped at contact sites by importing it into Neurospora mitochondria in the presence of low levels of nucleoside triphosphates. This F1β translocation intermediate could be extracted from the membranes by treatment with protein denaturants such as alkaline pH or urea. By performing import at low temperatures, the ADP/ATP carrier was accumulated in contact sites of Neurospora mitochondria and cytochrome b2 in contact sites of yeast mitochondria. These translocation intermediates were also extractable from the membranes at alkaline pH. Thus, translocation of precursor proteins across mitochondrial membranes seems to occur through an environment which is accessible to aqueous perturbants. We propose that proteinaceous structures are essential components of a translocation apparatus present in contact sites

The accountability of advocacy NGOs: insights from the online community of practice

Advocacy non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play an important role in society by keeping in check the power of corporations and governments and uncovering rights violations. They differ from other NGOs in terms of their agenda, funding structure and the stakeholders they serve, and operate in a context characterised by increasing demands for transparency, accountability and responsible advocacy. This study examines how the accountability agenda of advocacy NGOs is shaped by the need to maintain independence, preserve values and keep reputation unsullied when faced with financial and legitimacy pressures. A netnography method is employed to analyse the discussions taking place in the NGOs’ online community of practice to understand the implications of the accountability challenges faced by advocacy NGOs through the perceptions of NGO professionals. The study reveals that the accountability agenda of advocacy NGOs is determined by the interrelated threats of financial vulnerability, potential loss of independence, legitimacy challenges and the high level of public scrutiny. The findings highlight that imperfect accountability mechanisms (e.g. financial reporting and performance management systems) hinder the ability of advocacy NGOs to demonstrate their accountability

Combined Inactivation of pRB and Hippo Pathways Induces Dedifferentiation in the Drosophila Retina

Functional inactivation of the Retinoblastoma (pRB) pathway is an early and obligatory event in tumorigenesis. The importance of pRB is usually explained by its ability to promote cell cycle exit. Here, we demonstrate that, independently of cell cycle exit control, in cooperation with the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, pRB functions to maintain the terminally differentiated state. We show that mutations in the Hippo signaling pathway, wts or hpo, trigger widespread dedifferentiation of rbf mutant cells in the Drosophila eye. Initially, rbf wts or rbf hpo double mutant cells are morphologically indistinguishable from their wild-type counterparts as they properly differentiate into photoreceptors, form axonal projections, and express late neuronal markers. However, the double mutant cells cannot maintain their neuronal identity, dedifferentiate, and thus become uncommitted eye specific cells. Surprisingly, this dedifferentiation is fully independent of cell cycle exit defects and occurs even when inappropriate proliferation is fully blocked by a de2f1 mutation. Thus, our results reveal the novel involvement of the pRB pathway during the maintenance of a differentiated state and suggest that terminally differentiated Rb mutant cells are intrinsically prone to dedifferentiation, can be converted to progenitor cells, and thus contribute to cancer advancement

Cross-Species Analyses Identify the BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP Homology (BCH) Domain as a Distinct Functional Subclass of the CRAL_TRIO/Sec14 Superfamily

The CRAL_TRIO protein domain, which is unique to the Sec14 protein superfamily, binds to a diverse set of small lipophilic ligands. Similar domains are found in a range of different proteins including neurofibromatosis type-1, a Ras GTPase-activating Protein (RasGAP) and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs). Proteins containing this structural protein domain exhibit a low sequence similarity and ligand specificity while maintaining an overall characteristic three-dimensional structure. We have previously demonstrated that the BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP Homology (BCH) protein domain, which shares a low sequence homology with the CRAL_TRIO domain, can serve as a regulatory scaffold that binds to Rho, RhoGEFs and RhoGAPs to control various cell signalling processes. In this work, we investigate 175 BCH domain-containing proteins from a wide range of different organisms. A phylogenetic analysis with ∼100 CRAL_TRIO and similar domains from eight representative species indicates a clear distinction of BCH-containing proteins as a novel subclass within the CRAL_TRIO/Sec14 superfamily. BCH-containing proteins contain a hallmark sequence motif R(R/K)h(R/K)(R/K)NL(R/K)xhhhhHPs (‘h’ is large and hydrophobic residue and ‘s’ is small and weekly polar residue) and can be further subdivided into three unique subtypes associated with BNIP-2-N, macro- and RhoGAP-type protein domains. A previously unknown group of genes encoding ‘BCH-only’ domains is also identified in plants and arthropod species. Based on an analysis of their gene-structure and their protein domain context we hypothesize that BCH domain-containing genes evolved through gene duplication, intron insertions and domain swapping events. Furthermore, we explore the point of divergence between BCH and CRAL-TRIO proteins in relation to their ability to bind small GTPases, GAPs and GEFs and lipid ligands. Our study suggests a need for a more extensive analysis of previously uncharacterized BCH, ‘BCH-like’ and CRAL_TRIO-containing proteins and their significance in regulating signaling events involving small GTPases