AN INSIGHT INTO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - THE CASE OF ITHAS 2005-2012

Cilj je ovog članka zorno prikazati iskustveno učenje u području turizma i ugostiteljstva u multikulturalnom okruženju na primjeru ITHAS-a. Projekt ITHAS (International Tourism and Hospitality Academy at Sea) dio je studija turizma na Ekonomskom Fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu od 2005. godine. Cilj mu je premostiti jaz između teoretske i praktične nastave, a to je složen problem u turističkom obrazovanju i od velikog je interesa za turističke stručnjake i menadžere u turizmu.The objective of this paper is to give first-hand insight into experiential learning in the field of tourism and hospitality in a multicultural environment using the case of ITHAS. The ITHAS (International Tourism and Hospitality Academy at Sea) project has been an integral part of the tourism study programme at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb since 2005. This project aims to fill the gap between theoretical and practical instruction, as education and training in tourism has become a complex issue of paramount interest to tourism professionals and managers

Transverzalne vještine u nastavi poslovnog engleskog jezika

Otvaranje transnacionalnih tržišta redefinira ciljeve u nastavi stranih jezika na tercijarnoj razini tako da oni postaju sve složeniji. Današnje \u27društvo znanja\u27 zahtijeva novu razinu jezične kompetencije koja obuhvaća ne samo vladanje specifičnim leksičkim i semantičkim poljima struke već i transverzalnim vještinama koje uključuju komuniciranje, upotrebu stranih jezika, mobiliziranje sveukupnog znanja, rješavanje problema, timski rad i snalaženje u društvenim procesima. Članak opisuje kako se ovim novim zahtjevima udovoljava u kolegiju Poslovni engleski jezik na Ekonomskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu

Intramembrane proteolysis mediates shedding of a key adhesin during erythrocyte invasion by the malaria parasite.

Apicomplexan pathogens are obligate intracellular parasites. To enter cells, they must bind with high affinity to host cell receptors and then uncouple these interactions to complete invasion. Merozoites of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most dangerous form of malaria, invade erythrocytes using a family of adhesins called Duffy binding ligand-erythrocyte binding proteins (DBL-EBPs). The best-characterized P. falciparum DBL-EBP is erythrocyte binding antigen 175 (EBA-175), which binds erythrocyte surface glycophorin A. We report that EBA-175 is shed from the merozoite at around the point of invasion. Shedding occurs by proteolytic cleavage within the transmembrane domain (TMD) at a site that is conserved across the DBL-EBP family. We show that EBA-175 is cleaved by PfROM4, a rhomboid protease that localizes to the merozoite plasma membrane, but not by other rhomboids tested. Mutations within the EBA-175 TMD that abolish cleavage by PfROM4 prevent parasite growth. Our results identify a crucial role for intramembrane proteolysis in the life cycle of this pathogen

NMR assignments of oxidised thioredoxin from Plasmodium falciparum

During its life cycle, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is found intracellular to human erythrocytes, where its survival and ability to multiply critically depends on the control of the environment redox state. Thioredoxin is a small protein containing 104 amino acids that is part of the parasite specific redox system. During the catalytic cycle it alternates between a reduced and oxidised form. Here we report the complete resonance assignment of Plasmodium falciparum thioredoxin in its oxidized form by heteronuclear multidimensional spectroscopy. The obtained chemical shifts differ significantly from those reported earlier for this protein in its reduced stat

Depletion of Plasmodium berghei Plasmoredoxin Reveals a Non-Essential Role for Life Cycle Progression of the Malaria Parasite

Proliferation of the pathogenic Plasmodium asexual blood stages in host erythrocytes requires an exquisite capacity to protect the malaria parasite against oxidative stress. This function is achieved by a complex antioxidant defence system composed of redox-active proteins and low MW antioxidants. Here, we disrupted the P. berghei plasmoredoxin gene that encodes a parasite-specific 22 kDa member of the thioredoxin superfamily. The successful generation of plasmoredoxin knockout mutants in the rodent model malaria parasite and phenotypic analysis during life cycle progression revealed a non-vital role in vivo. Our findings suggest that plasmoredoxin fulfils a specialized and dispensable role for Plasmodium and highlights the need for target validation to inform drug development strategies

Identification of Proteins Targeted by the Thioredoxin Superfamily in Plasmodium falciparum

The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum possesses a functional thioredoxin and glutathione system comprising the dithiol-containing redox proteins thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin (Grx), as well as plasmoredoxin (Plrx), which is exclusively found in Plasmodium species. All three proteins belong to the thioredoxin superfamily and share a conserved Cys-X-X-Cys motif at the active site. Only a few of their target proteins, which are likely to be involved in redox reactions, are currently known. The aim of the present study was to extend our knowledge of the Trx-, Grx-, and Plrx-interactome in Plasmodium. Based on the reaction mechanism, we generated active site mutants of Trx and Grx lacking the resolving cysteine residue. These mutants were bound to affinity columns to trap target proteins from P. falciparum cell extracts after formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds. Covalently linked proteins were eluted with dithiothreitol and analyzed by mass spectrometry. For Trx and Grx, we were able to isolate 17 putatively redox-regulated proteins each. Furthermore, the approach was successfully established for Plrx, leading to the identification of 21 potential target proteins. In addition to confirming known interaction partners, we captured potential target proteins involved in various processes including protein biosynthesis, energy metabolism, and signal transduction. The identification of three enzymes involved in S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) metabolism furthermore suggests that redox control is required to balance the metabolic fluxes of SAM between methyl-group transfer reactions and polyamine synthesis. To substantiate our data, the binding of the redoxins to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) were verified using BIAcore surface plasmon resonance. In enzymatic assays, Trx was furthermore shown to enhance the activity of OAT. Our approach led to the discovery of several putatively redox-regulated proteins, thereby contributing to our understanding of the redox interactome in malarial parasites

STVARANJE PROGRAMA PREDMETA STRANOG JEZIKA. ANALIZA I OCJENA POTREBA - Pilot istraživanje o poznavanju poslovnog engleskog u turističkim agencijama u Hrvatskoj -

Autorice ovog istraživanja, koje je obuhvatilo 85 zaposlenih u turističkim agencijama Hrvatske, predaju Poslovni engleski jezik u turizmu na tercijarnoj razini obrazovanja i oblikuju programe za taj predmet. Zanimalo ih je koliko ti programi odgovaraju potebama zaposlenih u turističkoj djelatnsoti Hrvatske. Prvi dio istraživanja koji je ovdje prikazan obuhvatio je 85 ispitanika u turističkim agencijama Hrvatske. Autorice je zanimalo koju važnost poslodavci pridaju dobrom poznavanju poslovnog engleskog, koliko često ispitnici koriste poslovni engleski jezik na poslu, koje pisane i usmene jezične i komunikacijske vještine najčešće koritse, gdje su ih stekil, da li ih smatraju odgovarajućima za svoj posao i kako ih kane usavršiti.The authors, who have many years of experience in teaching business English at the tertiary level and in designing the syllabi for the courses, are presenting in this paper results of the research into the knowledge of business English in Croatian tourist agencies. The survey encompassed 85 respondents. The authors wanted to find out what importance the employers attach to prossessing business English knowledge and skills, how often the respondents use business English at work, what written and oral language and communication skills they use most frequently, where they acquired them, do they find them appropriate for the job they are doing and how they plan to improve them