Our way(s) to action research: Doctoral students\u27 international and interdisciplinary collective memory work

This study involved six Swedish and Canadian doctoral students who shared interests in using action research in professional education in different disciplines. We employed Noffke\u27s three dimensions of action research as a theoretical framework (i.e., the Professional, the Personal, and the Political). Using collective biography as a methodology, we cooperatively examined how our personal and professional agendas and macro-level structures have been shaping our intentions to conduct action research projects in our respective disciplines. The key findings of this international and interdisciplinary collective biography relate our growing awareness of the intimacy between research and life in various professional and geographic contexts. Collectively addressing our shared frustrations, we celebrated action research as a methodology that attends to the dynamic and concrete lived experiences of our participants in various spatio-temporalities. Reflecting upon the hybridity of our own researcher identities, we were also able to see the intimate relation between ourselves as active citizens and critical action researchers who are determined to take up the challenges and engage in critically oriented action research that could nurture more "caring,\u27\u27 "empowering,\u27\u27 and "transforming\u27\u27 public spheres

Reprogramming of pro-inflammatory human macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype by bile acids

Cholestasis is caused by autoimmune reactions, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, viral infections of the liver and the obstruction of bile ducts by tumours or gallstones. Cholestatic conditions are associated with impaired innate and adaptive immunity, including alterations of the cellular functions of monocytes, macrophages, NK cells and T-cells. Bile acids act as signalling molecules, affecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine expression in primary human macrophages. The present manuscript investigates the impact of bile acids, such as taurolithocholic acid (TLC), on the transcriptome of human macrophages in the presence or absence of LPS. While TLC itself has almost no effect on gene expression under control conditions, this compound modulates the expression of 202 out of 865 transcripts in the presence of LPS. Interestingly, pathway analysis revealed that TLC specifically supressed the expression of genes involved in mediating pro-inflammatory effects, phagocytosis, interactions with pathogens and autophagy as well as the recruitment of immune cells, such as NK cells, neutrophils and T cells. These data indicate a broad influence of bile acids on inflammatory responses and immune functions in macrophages. These findings may contribute to the clinical observation that patients with cholestasis present a lack of response to bacterial or viral infections