Wat is het en waarvoor dient het?

Rede, uitgesproken bij de aanvaarding van het ambt van bijzonder hoogleraar, vanwege de Prof. dr H.J. Flieringa Stichting in de faculteit der geneeskunde met de leeropdracht electro-ophthalmologie, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam 18 april 198

Inhibition of IRE1α-mediated XBP1 mRNA cleavage by XBP1 reveals a novel regulatory process during the unfolded protein response

Background: The mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) continuously adapts to the cellular secretory load by the activation of an unfolded protein response (UPR).  This stress response results in expansion of the ER, upregulation of proteins involved in protein folding and degradation, and attenuation of protein synthesis.  The response is orchestrated by three signalling pathways each activated by a specific signal transducer, either inositol requiring enzyme α (IRE1α), double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase-like ER kinase (PERK) or activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6).  Activation of IRE1α results in its oligomerisation, autophosphorylation and stimulation of its ribonuclease activity.  The ribonuclease initiates the splicing of an intron from mRNA encoding the transcription factor, X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), as well as degradation of specific mRNAs and microRNAs. Methods: To investigate the consequence of expression of exogenous XBP1, we generated a stable cell-line expressing spliced XBP1 mRNA under the control of an inducible promotor. Results: Following induction of expression, high levels of XBP1 protein were detected, which allowed upregulation of target genes in the absence of induction of the UPR.  Remarkably under stress conditions, the expression of exogenous XBP1 repressed splicing of endogenous XBP1 mRNA without repressing the activation of PERK. Conclusions: These results illustrate that a feedback mechanism exists to attenuate Ire1α ribonuclease activity in the presence of XBP1

Perspectives de conception de cours en ligne, une nouvelle norme? Perceptions des élèves et des enseignants de l'engagement en ligne dans le Québec rural

Abstract: The recent pandemic has accentuated the need to understand what online teaching techniques work to motivate students. Research indicates a more inclusive online student-centered approach creates new course design demands on teachers but provides greater student motivation. At the center of the issue is a lack of student engagement, frequently caused by learners feeling disconnected from other participants and/or the teacher in most online settings. Aside from technological issues, the problem is often accentuated by continued implementation of instructional design methodology that is based on conventional classroom models as opposed to inclusive approaches. Also tied into this, is a lack of teacher training to support learner-centered course design. Since virtual hybrid online learning using videoconferencing has started to offer an increase in course diversity that would otherwise not be possible for some locations with fewer educational resources and distance limitations, the need to understand learner-centered approaches has intensified. This study focused on professional programs given by Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, a rurally situated Cegep (community college) in Québec, Canada, spanning a vast territory. Both students and instructors were asked to respond to separate, but corresponding surveys adapted from the Community of Inquiry framework and questionnaire developed by Garrison et al. (2000). Understanding the relationship between the participant responses and selected learner-centered approaches, either currently in use or viewed as useful, sheds light on what keeps students actively engaged. Results suggest that learner centered approaches are appreciated by both students and teachers to potentially increase student engagement, but the pedagogical possibilities are not always fully understood, or utilized. This information provides new directions for online course design because of the comparison factor between what teachers believe should get students engaged and what students report as being engaging.La récente pandémie a accentué la nécessité de comprendre quelles techniques d'enseignement en ligne fonctionnent pour motiver les étudiants. La recherche indique qu'une approche en ligne centrée sur l'étudiant plus inclusive crée de nouvelles exigences en matière de conception de cours pour les enseignants, mais fournit une plus grande motivation aux étudiants. Au centre du problème se trouve le manque d'engagement des élèves, souvent causé par le fait que les apprenants se sentent déconnectés des autres participants et/ou de l'enseignant dans la plupart des contextes en ligne. Outre les problèmes technologiques, le problème est souvent accentué par la mise en oeuvre continue d'une méthodologie de conception pédagogique basée sur des modèles de classe conventionnels par opposition à des approches inclusives. Également lié à ce problème, il y a un manque de formation des enseignants pour soutenir la conception de cours centrés sur l'apprenant. Depuis que l'apprentissage en ligne hybride virtuel utilisant la vidéoconférence a commencé à offrir une augmentation de la diversité des cours qui autrement ne serait pas possible pour certains endroits avec moins de ressources éducatives et des limitations de distance, la nécessité de comprendre les approches centrées sur l'apprenant s'est intensifiée. Cette étude a porté sur les programmes professionnels dispensés par le Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, un cégep (collège communautaire) situé en milieu rural au Québec, Canada, couvrant un vaste territoire. Les étudiants et les instructeurs ont été invités à répondre à des enquêtes distinctes mais correspondantes adaptées du cadre et du questionnaire de la communauté d'enquête développés par Garrison et al. (2000). Comprendre la relation entre les réponses des participants et certaines approches centrées sur l'apprenant, actuellement utilisées ou considérées comme utiles, a permis de mieux comprendre ce qui maintient l'engagement actif des étudiants. Les résultats suggèrent que les approches centrées sur l'apprenant sont appréciées à la fois par les étudiants et les enseignants pour augmenter potentiellement l'engagement des étudiants, mais les possibilités pédagogiques ne sont pas toujours pleinement comprises ou utilisées. Ces informations fournissent de nouvelles orientations pour la conception de cours en ligne en raison du facteur de comparaison entre ce que les enseignants estiment devoir engager les étudiants et ce que les étudiants déclarent être engageant

Het spektakel van het socialisme: naar een sociale en architecturale biografie van Europese volkshuizen

The spectacle of socialism. A social and architectural biography of European People’s Houses At the turn of the century, numerous European cities witnessed the birth of a new type of building: the so-called ‘Maisons du Peuple’ or ‘People’s Houses’. These monumental buildings, often founded by the (socialist) labour movement, were meant to give ordinary people a place of their own within the urban space by means of impressive architecture. In order to grasp the remarkable individual life stories of the People’s Houses as well as their rich variety, this article proposes a multi-layered biographical approach. Four different phases in the biography of the People’s Houses each highlight another dimension of the building. The biographical framework is illustrated using the Brussels ‘Maison du Peuple (1899-1964) as an empirical case study

Project Financing of renewable energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa – the challenge to ensure bankability

In recent months, sustainable development and the achievement of the United Nations Sus- tainable Development Goals has gained unprecedented prominence. SDG 7 aspires to achieve access to electricity for the entire world population by 2030 and - at the same time - to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the power mix. This target trans- lates into ambitious electricity supply and renewable energy asset growth scenarios for Sub- Saharan Africa, the least developed region worldwide. Though theoretical renewable energy potential is abundant and capital generally available, progress has been slow. Aside funds from donors and Development Finance Institutions, private commercial capital is required to accelerate the progress. Project Finance has successfully attracted private funds for renew- able energy assets in other jurisdictions but has played a negligible role in the energy tran- sition in Sub-Saharan Africa. A variety of reasons are identified that impede their implemen- tation, which are categorised into (i) unsatisfactory project pre-requisites and preparation, (ii) challenging host country conditions, (iii) elevated non-financial project risks and (iv) risky financial transaction structures. While a review of potential mitigation measures reveals that the risk factors are theoretically addressable, most require a multi-stakeholder alignment and exhibit some implementation complexity. Putting them into practice will therefore take time and will require a high level of commitment from host governments, sponsors, and fi- nancial institutions. While pressure and urgency are mounting, time will tell whether the pro- ject parties are more successful going forward