EDUCATIONAL CHANGE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: SMALL BUSINESS TO TACKLE TEMPERATURE, WATER, SOIL

This is a case study, of the development of UNAN-Managua as an innovative Nicaraguan University. The history 2004-2017 is of the developmental path of this leading educational institution. It focuses on the importance of interdisciplinary development of pedagogy across the universities’ multiple campuses, farms, facilities and institutes. It starts simple and ends with a major program to change the university using Innovation and Design Thinking. The nexus of knowledge and innovative processes are opening this university to compete in the world marketplace. Students have the chance to learn from faculty who have experienced innovative thinking and innovative pedagogy. Starting was not easy, as those coming from the United States were educated in that very individualistic culture. It took time to understand, empathize, and design programs that work within the collectivistic culture, and within the social and economic structures of the country. Remembering that Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it has taken effort to bring a university of 40,000-plus students into the thinking methods of the 21st century. Much is built around the models of Design Thinking and the Business Model Canvass, as these are easily accessible in multiple languages. UNAN Managua is the largest University in Nicaragua with a campus in the capital city, four regional autonomous campuses, an extensive program in the rural farming areas (UNICAM), many institutes and areas of investigation. Faculty come from all campuses, all disciplines, ages, and ranks to engage in learning the innovative approaches to problem solving. Working across the disciplines, they meet each other, learn from each other, help each other, and think about how to change the classes that they teach. Working across the campuses brings a new strength and vibrancy to the university. Today, students from farms in the most rural areas of this poor country sit with freshly degreed faculty members learning one from the other. Today, faculty departments work together to bring innovative thinking into a variety of subject matters. They join to create events to encourage their students to be innovative. Today, the Rectora envisions the innovative UNAN or UNAN INOVA, only a dream a few years ago. This is the history of how innovative thinking, application and the challenge of business professionals can help a faculty to create a university for the 21st century. This is the thinking behind a transformation from once-guarded Sandinista institutions to becoming an innovation leader on the National Stage of Nicaragua and the world stage as a player in international competitions. Under the Rectora, the university has done all this without losing sight of including everyone in the educational revolution. Most recently, they placed second in the Wege International competition with Kendall College. This is a case of being entrepreneurial in the Drucker sense of being a change agent. The leadership defined the problem, sought the knowledge for change for its faculty, and is now in the process of making a difference in Nicaragua. This is a story from which other universities can learn. JEL Classification: O0

Explorando la Cultura Mayangna de Nicaragua a través del FODA

Una exploración en una de las naciones indígenas de América Central utilizando la técnica FODA que usualmente se emplea en el área de negocios. Los autores han visitado a la población Mayangna y han leído sobre ellos como parte del proceso de empatía. Lo están haciendo con la esperanza de eventualmente crear un programa culturalmente sensible para ayudar al liderazgo Mayangna a lograr los objetivos que establecieron para su nación y para sus comunidades. Esta es una región especial de un país especial y alejada de los destinos turísticos típicos. A través del trabajo con la Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense (URACCAN), se obtuvieron presentaciones y acceso a la Nación Sumu - Mayangna. El documento es una exploración de lo que se ha aprendido hasta la fecha de octubre 201

Oral bioavailability of the ether lipid plasmalogen precursor, PPI-1011, in the rabbit: a new therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and DHA-containing ethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn) are decreased in the brain, liver and the circulation in Alzheimer's disease. Decreased supply of plasmalogen precursors to the brain by the liver, as a result of peroxisomal deficits is a process that probably starts early in the AD disease process. To overcome this metabolic compromise, we have designed an orally bioavailable DHA-containing ether lipid precursor of plasmalogens. PPI-1011 is an alkyl-diacyl plasmalogen precursor with palmitic acid at sn-1, DHA at sn-2 and lipoic acid at sn-3. This study outlines the oral pharmacokinetics of this precursor and its conversion to PlsEtn and phosphatidylethanolamines (PtdEtn).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Rabbits were dosed orally with PPI-1011 in hard gelatin capsules for time-course and dose response studies. Incorporation into PlsEtn and PtdEtn was monitored by LC-MS/MS. Metabolism of released lipoic acid was monitored by GC-MS. To monitor the metabolic fate of different components of PPI-1011, we labeled the sn-1 palmitic acid, sn-2 DHA and glycerol backbone with¹³C and monitored their metabolic fates by LC-MS/MS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>PPI-1011 was not detected in plasma suggesting rapid release of sn-3 lipoic acid via gut lipases. This conclusion was supported by peak levels of lipoic acid metabolites in the plasma 3 hours after dosing. While PPI-1011 did not gain access to the plasma, it increased circulating levels of DHA-containing PlsEtn and PtdEtn. Labeling experiments demonstrated that the PtdEtn increases resulted from increased availability of DHA released via remodeling at sn-2 of phospholipids derived from PPI-1011. This release of DHA peaked at 6 hrs while increases in phospholipids peaked at 12 hr. Increases in circulating PlsEtn were more complex. Labeling experiments demonstrated that increases in the target PlsEtn, 16:0/22:6, consisted of 2 pools. In one pool, the intact precursor received a sn-3 phosphoethanolamine group and desaturation at sn-1 to generate the target plasmalogen. The second pool, like the PtdEtn, resulted from increased availability of DHA released during remodeling of sn-2. In the case of sn-1 18:0 and 18:1 plasmalogens with [¹³C₃]DHA at sn-2, labeling was the result of increased availability of [¹³C₃]DHA from lipid remodeling. Isotope and repeated dosing (2 weeks) experiments also demonstrated that plasmalogens and/or plasmalogen precursors derived from PPI-1011 are able to cross both the blood-retinal and blood-brain barriers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that PPI-1011, an ether lipid precursor of plasmalogens is orally bioavailable in the rabbit, augmenting the circulating levels of unesterified DHA and DHA-containing PlsEtn and PtdEtn. Other ethanolamine plasmalogens were generated from the precursor via lipid remodeling (de-acylation/re-acylation reactions at sn-2) and phosphatidylethanolamines were generated via de-alkylation/re-acylation reactions at sn-1. Repeated oral dosing for 2 weeks with PPI-1011 resulted in dose-dependent increases in circulating DHA and DHA-containing plasmalogens. These products and/or precursors were also able to cross the blood-retinal and blood-brain barriers.</p

Multi-taxa consequences of management for an avian umbrella species

Whether management for so-called umbrella species actually benefits co-occurring biota has rarely been tested. Here, we studied consequences for multiple invertebrate taxa of two ground-disturbance treatments designed to support an avian umbrella species (Eurasian stone-curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus), and whether analysing ecological requirements across the regional species pool predicted beneficiaries. Responses were assessed for the abundance of five bird species of conservation concern, and the abundance, species richness and composition of carabids, staphylinids, other beetles (non-carabid, non-staphylinid), true bugs and ants, sampling 31258 individuals of 402 species in an extensively-replicated experiment across the UK’s largest grass-heath. Both treatments provided suitable habitat for the umbrella species, in contrast to controls. Treatment influenced the abundance of only one bird species; but carabid, other beetle and ant richness increased with one or both treatments, while staphylinid richness and abundance increased and true bug richness and abundance decreased with both treatments. Richness of ‘priority’ (rare, scarce or threatened) invertebrates a priori considered to share ecological requirements with the umbrella species (predicted beneficiaries) increased with both treatments. Resampling and rarefaction showed landscapes diversified by treatment supported a greater cumulative species richness of other beetles, ants and true bugs, and importantly priority invertebrates, than a landscape comprising only untreated controls. Such experiments provide strong evidence to assess co-benefits of umbrella species management, but are costly and time consuming. The systematic examination of the autoecological requirements of co-occurring taxa (the ‘Biodiversity Audit Approach’) successfully predicted likely beneficiaries. Demonstrating wider biodiversity benefits strengthens the case for avian conservation management

Electromodulated photoinduced absorption : A new spectroscopy in π- conjugated polymer/C60 blends

Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation '97, 1997, San Diego, CA, United StatesMartin Liess, Paul A. Lane, Zakya H. Kafafi, M. Hamaguchi, Masanori Ozaki, Katsumi Yoshino, and Z. Valy Vardeny "Electromodulated photoinduced absorption: a new spectroscopy in π-conjugated polymer/C60 blends", Proc. SPIE 3142, Fullerenes and Photonics IV, (1 November 1997). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.29335

A modeling tool to evaluate regional coral reef responses to changes in climate and ocean chemistry

This is the published version.We developed a spreadsheet-based model for the use of managers, conservationists, and biologists for projecting the effects of climate change on coral reefs at local-to-regional scales. The COMBO (Coral Mortality and Bleaching Output) model calculates the impacts to coral reefs from changes in average SST and CO2 concentrations, and from high temperature mortality (bleaching) events. The model uses a probabilistic assessment of the frequency of high temperature events under a future climate to address scientific uncertainties about potential adverse effects. COMBO offers data libraries and default factors for three selected regions (Hawai’i, Great Barrier Reef, and Caribbean), but it is structured with user-selectable parameter values and data input options, making possible modifications to reflect local conditions or to incorporate local expertise. Preliminary results from sensitivity analyses and simulation examples for Hawai’i demonstrate the relative importance of high temperature events, increased average temperature, and increased CO2 concentration on the future status of coral reefs; illustrate significant interactions among variables; and allow comparisons of past environmental history with future predictions