Investigating Mobile Learning in Higher Education in Laos PDR and Cambodia

Mobile learning technologies have the potential to change higher education teaching, participation and learning now and in the future. This chapter investigates contributing factors and how these are positioned and considered within higher education in Lao PDR and Cambodian universities. It investigates the cases of two university-based agriculture courses. In particular, it explores the issues under consideration by educators as they develop degree programmes that enhance flexibility and learning outcomes through the incorporation of mobile technologies. Literacies, access, barriers and participation associated with adopting mobile learning technologies in higher education in these two countries are explored from the perspectives of the student and the lecturer. The chapter considers the functional aspects of mobile learning relevant to participation and learning including dissemination and access to information and communications, enabling person-to-person connections in education and connecting and intersecting learning content with the situated contexts of the learner. Access issues and barriers to the use of the technology within programmes are considered. Key insights associated with mobile learning adoption within these universities are highlighted at each of pedagogical, technical and organisational levels

Protein Turnover During In Vitro Tissue Engineering

Repopulating acellular biological scaffolds with phenotypically appropriate cells is a promising approach for regenerating functional tissues and organs. Under this tissue engineering paradigm, reseeded cells are expected to remodel the scaffold by active protein synthesis and degradation; however, the rate and extent of this remodeling remain largely unknown. Here, we present a technique to measure dynamic proteome changes during in vitro remodeling of decellularized tissue by reseeded cells, using vocal fold mucosa as the model system. Decellularization and recellularization were optimized, and a stable isotope labeling strategy was developed to differentiate remnant proteins constituting the original scaffold from proteins newly synthesized by reseeded cells. Turnover of matrix and cellular proteins and the effects of cell-scaffold interaction were elucidated. This technique sheds new light on in vitro tissue remodeling and the process of tissue regeneration, and is readily applicable to other tissue and organ systems