Creating a Supportive Culture for Online Teaching: A Case Study of a Faculty Learning Community

This case study describes the creation of a supportive culture for online teaching at a western university that was transitioning to a new learning management system. The case study highlighted the creation of a faculty learning community as one strategy to address the challenge of faculty working through a change process. The faculty learning community provided a space for the development of best practices in teaching, drawing from the pedagogical experiences of teachers from diverse disciplines. The learning community also provided a venue for expanding the technical knowledge level of faculty members with a range of comfort levels with varied technologies

Effects of pH on Double Stranded RNA Stability in European Corn Borer Nucleases

RNA interference (RNAI) is an immune response that can be exploited to make greener pesticides. It works by inciting suppression of a specific target gene using fed or injected dsRNA. Targeting a specific gene sequence also means RNAi can be used to target a specific organism. However, some insects, such as lepidopterans, have nucleases, called dsRNases, in their gut and hemolymph that sever dsRNA and lower RNAi efficiency (1). Ostrinia nubilalis, the European corn borer, (ECB), is a prime example of a lepidopteran pest which decimates corn supplies across the Midwest and does not respond to RNAi. Comparison of dsRNA stability in dsRNase genes in ECB and western corn rootworm (WCR), a coleopteran pest that has very high RNAi efficiency, indicates that dsRNA is rapidly degraded in ECB tissues, but not WCR tissues, despite similar expression of dsRNase genes in both species. These findings suggest that another variable, such as pH may be influencing dsRNA stability in insects (2)

Cultural knowledge as international business: entrepreneurial style in the UK traditional Chinese medicine sector

The field of international entrepreneurship has received considerable academic attention over the past 20 years, although paucity remains in our understanding of entrepreneurs as key actors in the transfer of business knowledge across national boundaries. Three types of potential entrepreneurial activity have been identified which can facilitate such processes of knowledge exchange: international, transnational and ethnic. This article sets out to identify characteristics which delineate these different entrepreneurial categories. It focusses on a study of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the UK, a case of non-Western therapeutic practice, where entrepreneurs must transfer knowledge from China to the UK. In the business sample reported below, we discuss the differences between the three entrepreneurial types in transferring knowledge from one cultural context to another

Interactions between BRCA2 and RAD51 for promoting homologous recombination in Leishmania infantum.

In most organisms, the primary function of homologous recombination (HR) is to allow genome protection by the faithful repair of DNA double-strand breaks. The vital step of HR is the search for sequence homology, mediated by the RAD51 recombinase, which is stimulated further by proteins mediators such as the tumor suppressor BRCA2. The biochemical interplay between RAD51 and BRCA2 is unknown in Leishmania or Trypanosoma. Here we show that the Leishmania infantum BRCA2 protein possesses several critical features important for the regulation of DNA recombination at the genetic and biochemical level. A BRCA2 null mutant, generated by gene disruption, displayed genomic instability and gene-targeting defects. Furthermore, cytological studies show that LiRAD51 can no longer localize to the nucleus in this mutant. The Leishmania RAD51 and BRCA2 interact together and the purified proteins bind single-strand DNA. Remarkably, LiBRCA2 is a recombination mediator that stimulates the invasion of a resected DNA double-strand break in an undamaged template by LiRAD51 to form a D-loop structure. Collectively, our data show that LiBRCA2 and LiRAD51 promote HR at the genetic and biochemical level in L. infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis

Exploring the use of children's literature in upper primary classrooms to foster students' critical thinking skills

The purpose of this research is to find out the use of children’s literature in fostering critical thinking skills in the context of Hong Kong upper primary school classroom. The objectives of this research are to find our how children’s literature are used in local primary schools, how teachers value picture books as a teaching resource and the feasibility of using children’s literature in local primary school classrooms to foster critical thinking skills. This ethnographic study involved experienced English teachers from two local primary schools located in different districts in Hong Kong, which they were interviewed and observed on their classroom practices of using children’s literature in the classroom. The data collected is presented in form of a narrative inquiry, which tells the career journeys of the participants. From the results, it was found that the teachers were constraint by the time, textbooks and lack training in using children’s literature.published_or_final_versionEducationBachelorBachelor of Education in Language Educatio

Transport is important in the carbon footprint of imported organic plant products.

Farmers or consumers may ask about the environmental implications when choosing organic products. Is it sustainable to buy organic products from China or South America? How much does the long-distance transport affect the climate and carbon footprint of the products? And does the organic production in the countries concerned benefit the environment? These are some of the questions raised – and the point of departure for a recently finalized PhD study

Patient Characteristics and Outcomes of Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy: A Retrospective Study

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a safe and effective alternative to hospitalization for many patients with infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the OPAT experience at a Canadian tertiary academic centre in the absence of a formal OPAT program. This was achieved through a retrospective chart review of OPAT patients discharged from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre within a one-year period. Between June 2012 and May 2013, 104 patients (median age 63 years) were discharged home with parenteral antimicrobials. The most commonly treated syndromes included surgical site infections (33%), osteoarticular infections (28%), and bacteremia (21%). The most frequently prescribed antimicrobials were ceftriaxone (21%) and cefazolin (20%). Only 56% of the patients received follow-up care from an infectious diseases specialist. In the 60 days following discharge, 43% of the patients returned to the emergency department, while 26% required readmission. Forty-eight percent of the return visits were due to infection relapse or treatment failure, and 23% could be attributed to OPAT-related complications. These results suggest that many OPAT patients have unplanned health care encounters because of issues related to their infection or treatment, and the creation of a formal OPAT clinic may help improve outcomes

Creating a supportive culture for online teaching: A case study of a faculty learning community

This case study describes the creation of a supportive culture for online teaching at a western university that was transitioning to a new learning management system. The case study highlighted the creation of a faculty learning community as one strategy to address the challenge of faculty working through a change process. The faculty learning community provided a space for the development of best practices in teaching, drawing from the pedagogical experiences of teachers from diverse disciplines. The learning community also provided a venue for expanding the technical knowledge level of faculty members with a range of comfort levels with varied technologies