Teacher Professional Development in Hong Kong: Describing the Current Infrastructure

Abstract This article describes the current teacher professional development (PD) infrastructure of Hong Kong, one of the world’s top performers in education. Drawing on contemporary policy frameworks, institutional websites, and research literature, we outline how teachers from primary and secondary local schools are supported to enhance their professional capacity. After introducing the structure of the Hong Kong education system, we describe pre-service teacher education and the Professional Ladder framework, designed by the Education Bureau (EDB) to regulate in-service PD. We then describe the work done by the leading PD providers and the PD-related obstacles, difficulties, and constraints reported in the literature. The article shows that Hong Kong has developed a solid PD infrastructure with hybrid characteristics. While the system is based on compliance and external accountability mechanisms, teachers are encouraged to design their PD journeys based on their interests, needs, and career aspirations. Every three years, teachers are required to complete 90 to 150 hours of PD (depending on seniority), including core and elective training (approximately 1/3 and 2/3 of the PD allotment, respectively). Structured, on-the-job, project-based, whole-school, and individual PD activities are available. The article also describes the strategies recently adopted to tackle the challenges of COVID-19. We conclude that Hong Kong has made great efforts to design a high-quality PD infrastructure within a hierarchical educational system, in which quantity of provision and content coverage have been prioritized over teacher agency and autonomy. More research is required to investigate the actual impact of PD on teachers’ practices and students’ learning. Keywords: Teacher Professional Development, continuing education, system analysis, educational policy, effective professional development, Hong Kon

HERANÇA DA RESISTÊNCIA AO CANCRO DA HASTE (Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cke.& Ell). Sacc.F.sp. Meridionalis Morgan Jones) EM SOJA (Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Genótipos de soja com diferentes reações frente a um isolado de Diaporthe phaseolorum f. sp. Meridionalis foram cruzados para o estudo da herança da resistência. As reações dos parentais e da população progênie foram estudadas em condições artificiais de inoculação, utilizando o “método do palito”. O cruzamento entre a linhagem ‘J-118’ (resistente) e o cultivar ‘BR-23’ (suscetível) apresentou na geração F1’, todas as plantas resistentes e, na geração F2, uma proporção de três plantas para uma suscetível, mostrando que há resistência para uma suscetível, mostrando que a resistência na linhagem “J-118” é condicionada por um gene dominante. O cruzamento entre dois cultivares suscetíveis, J-200 e BR-23, não apresentou, na população segregante, qualquer nível de resistência

La mujer peruana: evolución y perspectivas para su desarrollo futuro (1990-2020) Región Ucayali

El objetivo principal de esta tesis es realizar un diagnóstico de la evolución y de la situación actual de las mujeres de la región Ucayali en los últimos 20 años y obtener conocimientos sobre las expectativas y obstáculos en los siguientes campos: (a) personal, (b) económico, (c) familiar y (d) laboral, según son percibidos por las mujeres de la región Ucayali para los próximos 10 años. Además, con base en el conocimiento adquirido, se han realizado recomendaciones para facilitar el logro de tales expectativas. La mujer de Ucayali se ha desarrollado positivamente en muchos aspectos, dentro de los cuales podemos mencionar los siguientes: (a) el económico, (b) el educativo y (c) el ocupacional; sin embargo, aún no ha llegado al nivel alcanzado por los hombres. Asimismo, todavía existen campos por desarrollar, basados en su participación política y social. Este trabajo utiliza el modelo cualitativo, fundamentado en entrevistas a profundidad. Además, presenta una muestra de 23 mujeres de la región Ucayali. La fuente primaria está conformada por entrevistas que fueron realizadas a mujeres. Están segmentadas por variables relacionadas a grupos de edad, zona de residencia, nivel educativo, número de hijos, etc., pero específicamente dichas mujeres deben estar radicando en la región por lo menos dos años. Estas variables posibilitan identificar semejanzas y diferencias entre sus expectativas, incluso los obstáculos en el estudio sucesivo al levantamiento de la información. El producto de la investigación señala que, a pesar de los obstáculos típicos de su género, las mujeres perseveran a fin de lograr sus expectativas. Así pues, este estudio pretende incrementar el conocimiento sobre la situación de la mujer, al proponer recomendaciones prácticas que tienen la intención de buscar el desarrollo integral de la mujer ucayalina. Las expectativas de las mujeres de Ucayali se focalizan en la búsqueda de mejoras educacionales y en la realización de actividades que les permintan crecer personalmente, como el establecimiento de relaciones de amistad y la realización de actividades que generen relajamiento, así como la búsqueda del desarrollo y superación de sus hijos. No obstante, los mayores obstáculos constituyen la falta de educación adecuada, falta de planificación familiar y falta de oportunidades laborales, que se reflejan en empleos mal remunerados o subempleosThe main objective of this thesis is to diagnose the evolution and current status of women in the Ucayali region in the last 20 years and gain insight into the expectations and obstacles in the fields: (a) personal, (b) economic, (c) family and (d) work, as perceived by women in the Ucayali region for the next 10 years. In addition, based on acquired knowledge, recommendations are made to facilitate the achievement of those expectations. Women from Ucayali have developed positively in many aspects such as economic, educational and occupational, although not yet reached the level reached by the men. Also, there are still areas to develop, for example, political and social participation. This paper uses the qualitative model based on depth interviews with a sample of 23 women from the Ucayali region. The primary source consists of interviews with women groups segmented by variables such as age, area of residence, educational level, number of children, etc.., and specifically living in the region at least 2 years. These variables make it possible to identify similarities and differences between their expectations and even the obstacles in the study referred to the collection of information. The product of the research shows that despite the obstacles typical of their gender, women persevere in achieving their expectations. Thus, this study aims to increase awareness on the situation of women proposing practical recommendations which intend to seek the comprehensive development of women from Ucayali. The expectations of women in Ucayali are focused on improvement on education and the practice of activities that allow them to grow as a person like having close friends and having relaxing activities, and the pursue the development and overcoming of their children, while the obstacles are lack of adequate education, family planning, the lack of job opportunities -reflected in low paid jobs or underemploymentTesi

What Is the Profile of Overweight Individuals Who Are Unsuccessful Responders to a Low-Energy Diet? A PREVIEW Sub-study

This study was performed to evaluate the profile of overweight individuals with pre-diabetes enrolled in PREVIEW who were unable to achieve a body weight loss of >= 8% of the baseline value in response to a 2-month low-energy diet (LED). Their baseline profile reflected potential stress-related vulnerability that predicted a reduced response of body weight to a LED programme. The mean daily energy deficit maintained by unsuccessful weight responders of both sexes was less than the estimated level in successful female (656 vs. 1,299 kcal, p < 0.01) and male (815 vs. 1,659 kcal, p < 0.01) responders. Despite this smaller energy deficit, unsuccessful responders displayed less favorable changes in susceptibility to hunger and appetite sensations. They also did not benefit from the intervention regarding the ability to improve sleep quality. In summary, these results show that some individuals display a behavioral vulnerability which may reduce the ability to lose weight in response to a diet-based weight loss program. They also suggest that this vulnerability may be accentuated by a prolonged diet restriction.Peer reviewe

PDGFRA defines the mesenchymal stem cell Kaposi's sarcoma progenitors by enabling KSHV oncogenesis in an angiogenic environment

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is an AIDS-defining cancer caused by the KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Unanswered questions regarding KS are its cellular ontology and the conditions conducive to viral oncogenesis. We identify PDGFRA(+)/SCA-1(+) bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Pα(+)S MSCs) as KS spindle-cell progenitors and found that pro-angiogenic environmental conditions typical of KS are critical for KSHV sarcomagenesis. This is because growth in KS-like conditions generates a de-repressed KSHV epigenome allowing oncogenic KSHV gene expression in infected Pα(+)S MSCs. Furthermore, these growth conditions allow KSHV-infected Pα(+)S MSCs to overcome KSHV-driven oncogene-induced senescence and cell cycle arrest via a PDGFRA-signaling mechanism; thus identifying PDGFRA not only as a phenotypic determinant for KS-progenitors but also as a critical enabler for viral oncogenesis.Fil: Naipauer, Julian. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados UnidosFil: Rosario, Santas. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados UnidosFil: Gupta, Sachin. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados UnidosFil: Premer, Courtney. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Méndez Solís, Omayra. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados UnidosFil: Schlesinger, Mariana. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ponzinibbio, Maria Virginia. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Jain, Vaibhav. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Gay, Lauren. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Renne, Rolf. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Chan, Ho Lam. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Morey, Lluis. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Salyakina, Daria. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados UnidosFil: Abba, Martín Carlos. Miami University; Estados Unidos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicadas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Williams, Sion. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Hare, Joshua M.. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Goldschmidt Clermont, Pascal. Miami University; Estados UnidosFil: Mesri, Enrique Alfredo. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Miami Center for AIDS Research; Estados Unidos. Miami University; Estados Unido

Circadian and Brain State Modulation of Network Hyperexcitability in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract Network hyperexcitability is a feature of Alzheimer’ disease (AD) as well as numerous transgenic mouse models of AD. While hyperexcitability in AD patients and AD animal models share certain features, the mechanistic overlap remains to be established. We aimed to identify features of network hyperexcitability in AD models that can be related to epileptiform activity signatures in AD patients. We studied network hyperexcitability in mice expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) with mutations that cause familial AD, and compared a transgenic model that overexpresses human APP (hAPP) (J20), to a knock-in model expressing APP at physiological levels (APPNL/F). We recorded continuous long-term electrocorticogram (ECoG) activity from mice, and studied modulation by circadian cycle, behavioral, and brain state. We report that while J20s exhibit frequent interictal spikes (IISs), APPNL/F mice do not. In J20 mice, IISs were most prevalent during daylight hours and the circadian modulation was associated with sleep. Further analysis of brain state revealed that IIS in J20s are associated with features of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We found no evidence of cholinergic changes that may contribute to IIS-circadian coupling in J20s. In contrast to J20s, intracranial recordings capturing IIS in AD patients demonstrated frequent IIS in non-REM (NREM) sleep. The salient differences in sleep-stage coupling of IIS in APP overexpressing mice and AD patients suggests that different mechanisms may underlie network hyperexcitability in mice and humans. We posit that sleep-stage coupling of IIS should be an important consideration in identifying mouse AD models that most closely recapitulate network hyperexcitability in human AD

International Histopathology Consensus for Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism

Objective: Develop a consensus for the nomenclature and definition of adrenal histopathologic features in unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA). Context: Unilateral PA is the most common surgically treated form of hypertension. Morphologic examination combined with CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) immunostaining reveals diverse histopathologic features of lesions in the resected adrenals. Patients and methods: Surgically removed adrenals (n = 37) from 90 patients operated from 2015 to 2018 in Munich, Germany, were selected to represent the broad histologic spectrum of unilateral PA. Five pathologists (Group 1 from Germany, Italy, and Japan) evaluated the histopathology of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and CYP11B2 immunostained sections, and a consensus was established to define the identifiable features. The consensus was subsequently used by 6 additional pathologists (Group 2 from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) for the assessment of all adrenals with disagreement for histopathologic diagnoses among group 1 pathologists. Results: Consensus was achieved to define histopathologic features associated with PA. Use of CYP11B2 immunostaining resulted in a change of the original HE morphology-driven diagnosis in 5 (14%) of 37 cases. Using the consensus criteria, group 2 pathologists agreed for the evaluation of 11 of the 12 cases of disagreement among group 1 pathologists. Conclusion: The HISTALDO (histopathology of primary aldosteronism) consensus is useful to standardize nomenclature and achieve consistency among pathologists for the histopathologic diagnosis of unilateral PA. CYP11B2 immunohistochemistry should be incorporated into the routine clinical diagnostic workup to localize the likely source of aldosterone production

Perceived stress as a predictor of eating behavior during the 3-year PREVIEW lifestyle intervention

Peer reviewe

PREVIEW: Prevention of Diabetes through Lifestyle Intervention and Population Studies in Europe and around the World. Design, Methods, and Baseline Participant Description of an Adult Cohort Enrolled into a Three-Year Randomised Clinical Trial

Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases worldwide. The PREVIEW project has been initiated to find the most effective lifestyle (diet and physical activity) for the prevention of T2D, in overweight and obese participants with increased risk for T2D. The study is a three-year multi-centre, 2 × 2 factorial, randomised controlled trial. The impact of a high-protein, low-glycaemic index (GI) vs. moderate protein, moderate-GI diet in combination with moderate or high-intensity physical activity on the incidence of T2D and the related clinical end-points are investigated. The intervention started with a two-month weight reduction using a low-calorie diet, followed by a randomised 34-month weight maintenance phase comprising four treatment arms. Eight intervention centres are participating (Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and New Zealand). Data from blood specimens, urine, faeces, questionnaires, diaries, body composition assessments, and accelerometers are collected at months 0, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36. In total, 2326 adults were recruited. The mean age was 51.6 (SD 11.6) years, 67% were women. PREVIEW is, to date, the largest multinational trial to address the prevention of T2D in pre-diabetic adults through diet and exercise intervention. Participants will complete the final intervention in March, 2018.Peer reviewe