Global Learning Academy: A New Model

The Global Learning Academy is an innovative global and intercultural learning program that combines online courses with a two-week theme-based field experience at key international, U.S., and local/virtual locations. Much like higher education in general, education abroad and international education were turned upside down with the pandemic. In response, we have developed a creative new model that will allow us to meet some of our long-standing priorities around access for a changing student population; interdisciplinary learning on critical global themes; integration with existing academic programs; and flexibility and adaptability in uncertain times. We will share plans for this new model, which will supplement existing education-abroad program models, and engage in discussion about it

Anatomy of corpus callosum in prenatally malnourished rats

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloThe effect of prenatal malnutrition on the anatomy of the corpus callosum was assessed in adult rats (45-52 days old). In the prenatally malnourished animals we observed a significant reduction of the corpus callosum total area, partial areas, and perimeter, as compared with normal animals. In addition, the splenium of corpus callosum (posterior fifth) showed a significant decrease of fiber diameters in the myelinated fibers without changing density. There was also a significant decrease in diameter and a significant increase in density of unmyelinated fibers. Measurements of perimeter's fractal dimensions from sagittal sections of the brain and corpus callosum did not show significant differences between malnourished and control animals. These findings indicate that cortico-cortical connections are vulnerable to the prenatal malnutrition, and suggest this may affect interhemispheric conduction velocity, particulary in visual connections (splenium).http://ref.scielo.org/nph4s

Dialogues that Dig Deeper: Surfacing the Multiple Faces of Homelessness in Grand Rapids, MI (Report Three)

This community dialogue was designed to identify a wide-range of solutions, consider tradeoffs, prioritize options, and begin implementation efforts. We wanted to discover any possible areas of need for individuals experiencing homelessness that are not currently being addressed by the programs available. In order to accomplish this, we held a community dialogue at Dégagé and elicited responses from patrons, volunteers, and staff. The results will be shared with Dégagé Ministries, Seeds of Promise, other local nonprofit leaders/experts, and this report will also be openly publishedso anyone interested can access the lessons learned

A ‘Systemic Theories of Change’ Approach for Purposeful Capacity Development

In this article, we present an emergent capacity development approach that we are developing through participatory action research in Peru and Ecuador, which we call ‘systemic theories of change’ (STOC), for organisational capacity development. We argue that capacity development should be understood as systemic learning. The STOC approach promotes reflection about how we as individuals, organisations, and broader social groups and societal configurations, understand how change occurs. This makes it possible to build improved strategic and methodological clarity about how we might continually develop the capacities to contribute more effectively to emergent, social change in highly complex environments

Different routes, same pathways: molecular mechanisms under silver ion and nanoparticle exposures in the soil sentinel Eisenia fetida

Use of nanotechnology products is increasing; with silver (Ag) nanoparticles particularly widely used. A key uncertainty surrounding the risk assessment of AgNPs is whether their effects are driven through the same mechanism of action that underlies the toxic effects of Ag ions. We present the first full transcriptome study of the effects of Ag ions and NPs in an ecotoxicological model soil invertebrate, the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Gene expression analyses indicated similar mechanisms for both silver forms with toxicity being exerted through pathways related to ribosome function, sugar and protein metabolism, molecular stress, disruption of energy production and histones. The main difference seen between Ag ions and NPs was associated with potential toxicokinetic effects related to cellular internalisation and communication, with pathways related to endocytosis and cilia being significantly enriched. These results point to a common final toxicodynamic response, but initial internalisation driven by different exposure routes and toxicokinetic mechanisms

A Case for Surfacing Theories of Change for Purposeful Organisational Capacity Development

What are the capacities of an effective social change organisation (SCO)? Some SCOs may value strategic planning capacities, while others financial accountability to donors, improved teamwork, or networking capacities. But do the different capacities that SCOs seek purposefully support meaningful social change? How much of what SCOs deem as ‘worth strengthening’ is based on linear thinking, or unhealthy power interests, or what donors want them to want, or a combination of these? This article argues that the capacities that different organisations value are conditioned by a mix of individual, organisational and societal worldviews, including deeply held assumptions on the nature of change and one's roles in affecting change. It posits that the processes SCOs use to attempt to intentionally ‘build’ their capacities should surface these worldviews in order to find more purposeful and systemic relationships between its internal processes, systems and capacities and the complex change that an organisation seeks to support

Using Nonlinear Response to Estimate the Strength of an Elastic Network

Disordered networks of fragile elastic elements have been proposed as a model of inner porous regions of large bones [Gunaratne et.al., cond-mat/0009221, http://xyz.lanl.gov]. It is shown that the ratio $\Gamma$ of responses of such a network to static and periodic strain can be used to estimate its ultimate (or breaking) stress. Since bone fracture in older adults results from the weakening of porous bone, we discuss the possibility of using $\Gamma$ as a non-invasive diagnostic of osteoporotic bone.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Bimatoprost/timolol fixed combination versus latanoprost in treatment-naïve glaucoma patients at high risk of progression: a pilot study.

Objective To compare a fixed combination of 0.03% bimatoprost and 0.5% timolol (BTFC) with latanoprost monotherapy (LM) in treatment-naïve patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and risk factors for glaucomatous progression. Methods Patients were enrolled at 15 sites in Spain and Portugal, and were randomized 1:1 to BTFC or LM. Patients instilled one drop of medication once per day at 8 pm for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in intraocular pressure (IOP) at 12 weeks. Results Of 81 patients enrolled, 43 were randomized to BTFC and 38 to LM. Mean (SD) change in IOP from baseline to 12 weeks was significantly greater for BTFC than for LM: −13.5 mmHg (4.48) versus −11.4 mmHg (3.19), respectively (P=0.003). Similarly, at 12 weeks, significantly more BTFC patients than LM patients had IOP reductions of ≥40% (74.4% versus 47.4%, P=0.015) or ≥50% (46.5% versus 15.8%, P=0.003). Adverse events were more frequent with BTFC than with LM (33 versus 13 events), but most were mild in severity. The only serious adverse event (colon cancer) was adjudged unrelated to the study medication. Conclusion BTFC was effective and well tolerated in treatment-naïve patients with OAG at high risk of progressio

Strength Reduction in Electrical and Elastic Networks

Particular aspects of problems ranging from dielectric breakdown to metal insu- lator transition can be studied using electrical o elastic networks. We present an expression for the mean breakdown strength of such networks.First, we intro- duce a method to evaluate the redistribution of current due to the removal of a finite number of elements from a hyper-cubic network of conducatances.It is used to determine the reduction of breakdown strength due to a fracture of size $\kappa$.Numerical analysis is used to show that the analogous reduction due to random removal of elements from electrical and elastic networks follow a similar form.One possible application, namely the use of bone density as a diagnostic tools for osteorosporosis,is discussed.Comment: one compressed file includes: 9 PostScrpt figures and a text fil

Uptake routes and toxicokinetics of silver nanoparticles and silver ions in the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus

Current bioavailability models, such as the free ion activity model and biotic ligand model, explicitly consider that metal exposure will be mainly to the dissolved metal in ionic form. With the rise of nanotechnology products and the increasing release of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) to the environment, such models may increasingly be applied to support risk assessment. It is not immediately clear, however, whether the assumption of metal ion exposure will be relevant for NPs. Using an established approach of oral gluing, a toxicokinetics study was conducted to investigate the routes of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Ag+ ion uptake in the soil-dwelling earthworm Lumbricus rubellus. The results indicated that a significant part of the Ag uptake in the earthworms is through oral/gut uptake for both Ag+ ions and NPs. Thus, sealing the mouth reduced Ag uptake by between 40% and 75%. An X-ray analysis of the internal distribution of Ag in transverse sections confirmed the presence of increased Ag concentrations in exposed earthworm tissues. For the AgNPs but not the Ag+ ions, high concentrations were associated with the gut wall, liver-like chloragogenous tissue, and nephridia, which suggest a pathway for AgNP uptake, detoxification, and excretion via these organs. Overall, the results indicate that Ag in the ionic and NP forms is assimilated and internally distributed in earthworms and that this uptake occurs predominantly via the gut epithelium and less so via the body wall. The importance of oral exposure questions the application of current metal bioavailability models, which implicitly consider that the dominant route of exposure is via the soil solution, for bioavailability assessment and modeling of metal-based NPs