Collaborating for Professional Development

Collaborations in higher education often focus on creating opportunities to promote student learning and development (Brower & Inkelas, 2010; Jacoby, 1999; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt,& Associates, 2010). While student learning is the chief concern of institutions of higher education, institutional leaders should also focus on the professional development of personnel, namely faculty and student affairs administrators, who are responsible for student learning in the classroom and co-curriculum. Institutional leaders can use professional development to transform the historically insular work of academic and student affairs into a collaborative enterprise

Session 1 - Vocational Education and Training: basics for teaching and research in Vocational Education and Training at universities

This session highlights the basics of Vocational Education and Training (VET). Each university has its own characteristics. The contributions seek to encourage various forms of VET. Challenges for universities and other institutions are emphasised. The contributions help draw conclusions for the Further structuring of VET in Sub-Saharan Africa. Other country-specific articles from the session concentrate on the characteristics and orientation of VET systems, thereby helping create an overall picture of the status of VET in all participating countries. The participants endeavored to analyze the current situation of VET in Sub-Saharan Africa by exploring the character and individual design of the current VET systems in the participating countries

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Physical Fitness in Volunteer Firefighters

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(2): 764-776, 2019. Forty-seven percent of volunteer firefighter line of duty deaths are caused by cardiovascular events. Aggressive cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor reduction and improved physical fitness could reduce CVD mortality within this population. We assessed CVD risk factors and physical fitness in a large cohort of volunteer firefighters to help establish a health and fitness profile of this population, which may serve as evidence for the need to initiate programs aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality caused by CVD in the volunteer fire service. Seventy-four male volunteer firefighters were assessed for eight CVD risk factors and anthropometric characteristics. Physical fitness was assessed via push-ups, sit-ups, and the YMCA step test. Sixty-eight percent of the firefighters had two or more CVD risk factors. The sample was considered obese via body fat percentage (25.3 ± 5.7%), 27% were hypertensive, 30% had hypercholesterolemia, and 46% were sedentary. The average number of sit-ups performed was 27.3 ± 10.5, which was ranked in the 25thpercentile. The average heart rate after the YMCA step test was 160.2 ± 14.6 bpm, which was ranked very poor. The number of CVD risk factors and poor physical fitness in this cohort of volunteer firefighters was noteworthy. Most volunteer firefighters in our sample were at elevated risk for CVD and had inadequate physical fitness. This evidence conveys the need to initiate physical activity and nutrition outreach programs, led by health and fitness professionals, aimed at reducing firefighter morbidity and mortality within the volunteer fire service

The Bacillus Subtilis K-State Promotes Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis via Oxidative Damage

Bacterial cells develop mutations in the absence of cellular division through a process known as stationary-phase or stress-induced mutagenesis. This phenomenon has been studied in a few bacterial models, including Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis; however, the underlying mechanisms between these systems differ. For instance, RecA is not required for stationary-phase mutagenesis in B. subtilis like it is in E. coli. In B. subtilis, RecA is essential to the process of genetic transformation in the subpopulation of cells that become naturally competent in conditions of stress. Interestingly, the transcriptional regulator ComK, which controls the development of competence, does influence the accumulation of mutations in stationary phase in B. subtilis. Since recombination is not involved in this process even though ComK is, we investigated if the development of a subpopulation (K-cells) could be involved in stationary-phase mutagenesis. Using genetic knockout strains and a point-mutation reversion system, we investigated the effects of ComK, ComEA (a protein involved in DNA transport during transformation), and oxidative damage on stationary-phase mutagenesis. We found that stationary-phase revertants were more likely to have undergone the development of competence than the background of non-revertant cells, mutations accumulated independently of DNA uptake, and the presence of exogenous oxidants potentiated mutagenesis in K-cells. Therefore, the development of the K-state creates conditions favorable to an increase in the genetic diversity of the population not only through exogenous DNA uptake but also through stationary-phase mutagenesis

Resting state cortico-cerebellar functional connectivity networks: a comparison of anatomical and self-organizing map approaches.

The cerebellum plays a role in a wide variety of complex behaviors. In order to better understand the role of the cerebellum in human behavior, it is important to know how this structure interacts with cortical and other subcortical regions of the brain. To date, several studies have investigated the cerebellum using resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI; Krienen and Buckner, 2009; O'Reilly et al., 2010; Buckner et al., 2011). However, none of this work has taken an anatomically-driven lobular approach. Furthermore, though detailed maps of cerebral cortex and cerebellum networks have been proposed using different network solutions based on the cerebral cortex (Buckner et al., 2011), it remains unknown whether or not an anatomical lobular breakdown best encompasses the networks of the cerebellum. Here, we used fcMRI to create an anatomically-driven connectivity atlas of the cerebellar lobules. Timecourses were extracted from the lobules of the right hemisphere and vermis. We found distinct networks for the individual lobules with a clear division into "motor" and "non-motor" regions. We also used a self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm to parcellate the cerebellum. This allowed us to investigate redundancy and independence of the anatomically identified cerebellar networks. We found that while anatomical boundaries in the anterior cerebellum provide functional subdivisions of a larger motor grouping defined using our SOM algorithm, in the posterior cerebellum, the lobules were made up of sub-regions associated with distinct functional networks. Together, our results indicate that the lobular boundaries of the human cerebellum are not necessarily indicative of functional boundaries, though anatomical divisions can be useful. Additionally, driving the analyses from the cerebellum is key to determining the complete picture of functional connectivity within the structure

Lifespan Differences in Cortico-Striatal Resting State Connectivity

Distinctive cortico-striatal circuits that serve motor and cognitive functions have been recently mapped based on resting state connectivity. It has been reported that age differences in cortico-striatal connectivity relate to cognitive declines in aging. Moreover, children in their early teens (i.e., youth) already show mature motor network patterns while their cognitive networks are still developing. In the current study, we examined age differences in the frontal-striatal ?cognitive? and ?motor? circuits in children and adolescence, young adults (YAs), and older adults (OAs). We predicted that the strength of the ?cognitive? frontal-striatal circuits would follow an inverted ?U? pattern across age; children and OAs would have weaker connectivity than YAs. However, we predicted that the ?motor? circuits would show less variation in connectivity strength across the lifespan. We found that most areas in both the ?cognitive? and ?motor? circuits showed higher connectivity in YAs than children and OAs, suggesting general inverted ?U?-shaped changes across the lifespan for both the cognitive and motor frontal-striatal networks.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140317/1/brain.2013.0155.pd

The development of a theory-based intervention to promote appropriate disclosure of a diagnosis of dementia

Background: The development and description of interventions to change professional practice are often limited by the lack of an explicit theoretical and empirical basis. We set out to develop an intervention to promote appropriate disclosure of a diagnosis of dementia based on theoretical and empirical work. Methods: We identified three key disclosure behaviours: finding out what the patient already knows or suspects about their diagnosis; using the actual words 'dementia' or 'Alzheimer's disease' when talking to the patient; and exploring what the diagnosis means to the patient. We conducted a questionnaire survey of older peoples' mental health teams (MHTs) based upon theoretical constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and used the findings to identify factors that predicted mental health professionals' intentions to perform each behaviour. We selected behaviour change techniques likely to alter these factors. Results: The change techniques selected were: persuasive communication to target subjective norm; behavioural modelling and graded tasks to target self-efficacy; persuasive communication to target attitude towards the use of explicit terminology when talking to the patient; and behavioural modelling by MHTs to target perceived behavioural control for finding out what the patient already knows or suspects and exploring what the diagnosis means to the patient. We operationalised these behaviour change techniques using an interactive 'pen and paper' intervention designed to increase intentions to perform the three target behaviours. Conclusion : It is feasible to develop an intervention to change professional behaviour based upon theoretical models, empirical data and evidence based behaviour change techniques. The next step is to evaluate the effect of such an intervention on behavioural intention. We argue that this approach to development and reporting of interventions will contribute to the science of implementation by providing replicable interventions that illuminate the principles and processes underlying change.This project is funded by UK Medical Research Council, Grant reference number G0300999. Jeremy Grimshaw holds a Canada Research Chair in Health Knowledge Transfer and Uptake. Jill Francis is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorate. The views expressed in this study are those of the authors

The Effect of Galaxy Interactions on Molecular Gas Properties

© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Galaxy interactions are often accompanied by an enhanced star formation rate (SFR). Since molecular gas is essential for star formation, it is vital to establish whether and by how much galaxy interactions affect the molecular gas properties. We investigate the effect of interactions on global molecular gas properties by studying a sample of 58 galaxies in pairs and 154 control galaxies. Molecular gas properties are determined from observations with the JCMT, PMO, and CSO telescopes and supplemented with data from the xCOLD GASS and JINGLE surveys at 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1). The SFR, gas mass (), and gas fraction (f gas) are all enhanced in galaxies in pairs by ∼2.5 times compared to the controls matched in redshift, mass, and effective radius, while the enhancement of star formation efficiency (SFE ≡SFR/) is less than a factor of 2. We also find that the enhancements in SFR, and f gas, increase with decreasing pair separation and are larger in systems with smaller stellar mass ratio. Conversely, the SFE is only enhanced in close pairs (separation <20 kpc) and equal-mass systems; therefore, most galaxies in pairs lie in the same parameter space on the SFR- plane as controls. This is the first time that the dependence of molecular gas properties on merger configurations is probed statistically with a relatively large sample and a carefully selected control sample for individual galaxies. We conclude that galaxy interactions do modify the molecular gas properties, although the strength of the effect is dependent on merger configuration.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Natural History of Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Results from the Prospective Proxima A and B Clinical Trials.

Abstract Purpose To better characterize visual function decline and geographic atrophy (GA) progression secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Proxima A (NCT02479386) and Proxima B (NCT02399072) were global, prospective, non-interventional, observational clinical trials. Participants Eligible patients were aged ≥50 years. Patients in Proxima A had bilateral GA without choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in either eye (N=295). Patients in Proxima B had GA with no CNV in the study eye and CNV±GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye CNV cohort, n=168); or GA with no CNV in the study eye, without CNV/GA in the fellow eye (fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, n=32). Methods Changes in visual function and imaging/anatomic parameters were evaluated over time using a Mixed Model for Repeated Measurement (MMRM) accounting for key baseline characteristics. Main Outcome Measures Pre-specified endpoints included change in GA area from baseline, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) score assessed by ETDRS, and BCVA under low-luminance conditions (LLVA). Results At 24 months, the adjusted mean (standard error; SE) change in GA lesion area from baseline was 3.87 (0.15) mm2 in participants with bilateral GA (Proxima A), 3.55 (0.16) mm2 in the fellow eye CNV cohort (Proxima B), and 2.96 (0.25) mm2 in the fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort (Proxima B). GA progression was greater in patients with baseline non-subfoveal (vs. subfoveal) GA lesions, and tended to increase as baseline low-luminance deficit increased (Proxima A; Proxima B, all patients). Conversion to GA or CNV in the fellow eye occurred in 30% and 6.7% of participants, respectively, in the Proxima B intermediate AMD cohort at month 12. Adjusted mean (SE) changes in BCVA and LLVA (ETDRS letters) in the study eye from baseline to 24 months: −13.88 (1.40) and −7.64 (1.20) in Proxima A, −9.49 (1.29) and −7.57 (1.26) in the Proxima B fellow eye CNV cohort, −11.48 (3.39) and −8.37 (3.02) in the Proxima B fellow eye intermediate AMD cohort, respectively. Conclusions The prospective Proxima A and B studies highlight the severe functional impact of GA and the rapid rate of GA lesion progression over a 2-year period, including in patients with unilateral GA at baseline

Adrenoceptors in GtoPdb v.2023.1

The nomenclature of the Adrenoceptors has been agreed by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Adrenoceptors [64, 194]. Adrenoceptors, &#945;1 The three &#945;1-adrenoceptor subtypes &#945;1A, &#945;1B and &#945;1D are activated by the endogenous agonists (-)-adrenaline and (-)-noradrenaline. -(-)phenylephrine, methoxamine and cirazoline are agonists and prazosin and doxazosin antagonists considered selective for &#945;1- relative to &#945;2-adrenoceptors. [3H]prazosin and [125I]HEAT (BE2254) are relatively selective radioligands. S(+)-niguldipine also has high affinity for L-type Ca2+ channels. Fluorescent derivatives of prazosin (Bodipy FLprazosin- QAPB) are used to examine cellular localisation of &#945;1-adrenoceptors. &#945;1-Adrenoceptor agonists are used as nasal decongestants; antagonists to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (alfuzosin, doxazosin, terazosin, tamsulosin and silodosin, with the last two compounds being &#945;1A-adrenoceptor selective and claiming to relax bladder neck tone with less hypotension); and to a lesser extent hypertension (doxazosin, terazosin). The &#945;1- and &#946;2-adrenoceptor antagonist carvedilol is used to treat congestive heart failure, although the contribution of &#945;1-adrenoceptor blockade to the therapeutic effect is unclear. Several anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs are &#945;1-adrenoceptor antagonists contributing to side effects such as orthostatic hypotension. Adrenoceptors, &#945;2 The three &#945;2-adrenoceptor subtypes &#945;2A, &#945;2B and &#945;2C are activated by (-)-adrenaline and with lower potency by (-)-noradrenaline. brimonidine and talipexole are agonists and rauwolscine and yohimbine antagonists selective for &#945;2- relative to &#945;1-adrenoceptors. [3H]rauwolscine, [3H]brimonidine and [3H]RX821002 are relatively selective radioligands. There are species variations in the pharmacology of the &#945;2A-adrenoceptor. Multiple mutations of &#945;2-adrenoceptors have been described, some associated with alterations in function. Presynaptic &#945;2-adrenoceptors regulate many functions in the nervous system. The &#945;2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine, guanabenz and brimonidine affect central baroreflex control (hypotension and bradycardia), induce hypnotic effects and analgesia, and modulate seizure activity and platelet aggregation. clonidine is an anti-hypertensive (relatively little used) and counteracts opioid withdrawal. dexmedetomidine (also xylazine) is increasingly used as a sedative and analgesic in human [33] and veterinary medicine and has sympatholytic and anxiolytic properties. The &#945;2-adrenoceptor antagonist mirtazapine is used as an anti-depressant. The &#945;2B subtype appears to be involved in neurotransmission in the spinal cord and &#945;2C in regulating catecholamine release from adrenal chromaffin cells. Although subtype-selective antagonists have been developed, none are used clinically and they remain experimental tools. Adrenoceptors, &#946; The three &#946;-adrenoceptor subtypes &#946;1, &#946;2 and &#946;3 are activated by the endogenous agonists (-)-adrenaline and (-)-noradrenaline. Isoprenaline is selective for &#946;-adrenoceptors relative to &#945;1- and &#945;2-adrenoceptors, while propranolol (pKi 8.2-9.2) and cyanopindolol (pKi 10.0-11.0) are relatively selective antagonists for &#946;1- and &#946;2- relative to &#946;3-adrenoceptors. (-)-noradrenaline, xamoterol and (-)-Ro 363 show selectivity for &#946;1- relative to &#946;2-adrenoceptors. Pharmacological differences exist between human and mouse &#946;3-adrenoceptors, and the 'rodent selective' agonists BRL 37344 and CL316243 have low efficacy at the human &#946;3-adrenoceptor whereas CGP 12177 (low potency) and L 755507 activate human &#946;3-adrenoceptors [88]. &#946;3-Adrenoceptors are resistant to blockade by propranolol, but can be blocked by high concentrations of bupranolol. SR59230A has reasonably high affinity at &#946;3-adrenoceptors, but does not discriminate between the three &#946;- subtypes [332] whereas L-748337 is more selective. [125I]-cyanopindolol, [125I]-hydroxy benzylpindolol and [3H]-alprenolol are high affinity radioligands that label &#946;1- and &#946;2- adrenoceptors and &#946;3-adrenoceptors can be labelled with higher concentrations (nM) of [125I]-cyanopindolol together with &#946;1- and &#946;2-adrenoceptor antagonists. Fluorescent ligands such as BODIPY-TMR-CGP12177 can be used to track &#946;-adrenoceptors at the cellular level [8]. Somewhat selective &#946;1-adrenoceptor agonists (denopamine, dobutamine) are used short term to treat cardiogenic shock but, chronically, reduce survival. &#946;1-Adrenoceptor-preferring antagonists are used to treat cardiac arrhythmias (atenolol, bisoprolol, esmolol) and cardiac failure (metoprolol, nebivolol) but also in combination with other treatments to treat hypertension (atenolol, betaxolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol and nebivolol) [528]. Cardiac failure is also treated with carvedilol that blocks &#946;1- and &#946;2-adrenoceptors, as well as &#945;1-adrenoceptors. Short (salbutamol, terbutaline) and long (formoterol, salmeterol) acting &#946;2-adrenoceptor-selective agonists are powerful bronchodilators used to treat respiratory disorders. Many first generation &#946;-adrenoceptor antagonists (propranolol) block both &#946;1- and &#946;2-adrenoceptors and there are no &#946;2-adrenoceptor-selective antagonists used therapeutically. The &#946;3-adrenoceptor agonist mirabegron is used to control overactive bladder syndrome. There is evidence to suggest that &#946;-adrenoceptor antagonists can reduce metastasis in certain types of cancer [197]