Subject specific demands of teaching: Implications for out-of-field teachers

This chapter provides a framework for thinking about the subject-specific nature of teaching in terms of the knowledge, modes of inquiry and discursive practices that delineate one subject from another in the traditional school curriculum. The chapter will explore how these disciplinary traits are translated into teaching as curriculum, knowledge and pedagogy, and how this subject-specificity of teaching is juxtaposed against the more generic aspects of teaching. The chapter explores the idea that if a teacher’s expertise can be situated within a field, then they can also be positioned out-of-field. Implications for teaching out-of-field are discussed in terms of the subject-specific knowledge, processes and skills, and the difficulties associated with teacher practice. English and Australian illustrations of teacher practices from in-field and out-of-field situations are provided, in particular highlighting the demands of moving across subject boundaries. Cross-fertilisation is especially evident when subjects are integrated, therefore, the issues associated with integrated curriculum are discussed where the traditional subject boundaries are being challenged as schools are reorganised to integrate subjects through, for example, STEM teaching, or holistic curriculum designs

Nestin-GFP Transgene Reveals Neural Precursor Cells in Adult Skeletal Muscle

Background: Therapy for neural lesions or degenerative diseases relies mainly on finding transplantable active precursor cells. Identifying them in peripheral tissues accessible for biopsy, outside the central nervous system, would circumvent the serious immunological and ethical concerns impeding cell therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we isolated neural progenitor cells in cultured adult skeletal muscle from transgenic mice in which nestin regulatory elements control GFP expression. These cells also expressed the early neural marker Tuj1 and light and heavy neurofilament but not S100b, indicating that they express typical neural but not Schwann cell markers. GFP+/Tuj1+ cells were also negative for the endothelial and pericyte markers CD31 and a-smooth muscle actin, respectively. We established their a) functional response to glutamate in patch-clamp recordings; b) interstitial mesenchymal origin; c) replicative capacity; and d) the environment necessary for their survival after fluorescenceactivated cell sorting. Conclusions/Significance: We propose that the decline in nestin-GFP expression in muscle progenitor cells and its persistence in neural precursor cells in muscle cultures provide an invaluable tool for isolating a population of predifferentiated neural cells with therapeutic potential

Stromal cells in tissue homeostasis: balancing regeneration and fibrosis

The ageing population and the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension have led to an increased prevalence of chronic kidney disease. The generation of de novo kidney tissue from embryonic tissue and stem cells using tissue engineering approaches is being explored as an alternative to renal replacement therapy for treating the disease. It is, however, becoming clear that resident cells can not only induce fibrotic repair, but can also restore damaged kidney tissue. Mobilizing this innate capacity of the kidney to regenerate is of particular interest in the prevention of irreversible kidney failure. A novel concept is that the interaction of interstitial stromal cells with the local immune system may regulate tissue homeostasis and the balance between tissue repair and fibrosis. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), in particular, may enhance the intrinsic reparative capabilities of the kidney. This Perspectives article considers the innate regenerative potential of the kidney in the context of ongoing studies of MSC therapy