How Do We Come to Know? Exploring Maple Syrup Production and Climate Change in Near North Ontario

This paper reports on a pilot project exploring the impacts of climate change on maple syrup production in understudied near north, Ontario spaces. Maple syrup is produced by settler, Métis and First Nations communities for commercial distribution and as part of a mixed subsistence economy. The focus on maple syrup is opportune, since syrup production and sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum) are extremely susceptible to climate change and the biophysical and social impacts of climate change on maple syrup production in the near north of Ontario have yet to be understood. Given that the process of developing research is under-reported and that this project has had the opportunity to undertake a funded development process, this paper describes and assesses our process of ‘coming to know’, which has been guided by the following objectives: 1) to undertake an exploratory investigation of the nature of available data about long-term syrup production and climate change in both settler and Indigenous communities, 2) to include and valorize marginalized Indigenous voices and ecologies, 3) to focus on collecting climate change data from understudied near north spaces, 4) to assess the availability and quality of ecological and quantitative data in order to enhance locally-relevant understandings of climate change, and 5) to work towards the development of a cross-cultural and transdisciplinary methodological framework within which to accomplish the first four objectives. We approach these objectives across disciplinary boundaries and cultural perspectives, and with growing relationships with community partners. We describe the rich sources of information found through the pilot study and discuss highlights of our on-going process of developing our research project

Development of taxane resistance in a panel of human lung cancer cell lines

Using a selection process designed to reflect clinically relevant conditions, a panel of taxane-selected variants were developed to study further the mechanisms of resistance in lung cancer. Unlike continuous or pulse exposure to high concentrations of chemotherapeutic drugs which yield high resistance and often cross resistance, most variants developed here displayed low level resistance to the selecting drug with slight cross-resistance. Pulsing with taxol resulted in more highly resistant clones (up to 51.4-fold). Analysis of taxol and taxotere in the four major lung cancer cell types showed the taxanes to be more effective against NSCLC (with the exception of SKMES-taxane selected variants) than against the SCLC. Comparison of taxol and taxotere shows that taxol induces higher levels of resistance than taxotere. Further, in taxotere-selected cell lines, the cells are more resistant to taxol than taxotere, suggesting that taxotere may be a superior taxane from a clinical view. Taxol treatment resulted in increased cross-resistance to 5-FU in all classes of lung cancer except DMS-53. The high levels of Pgp in the DMS-53 and selected variant suggests this mechanism is not related to Pgp expression. Analysis of the Pgp and MRP-1 status by combination inhibitory assays and Western blotting showed no consistent relationship between expression of the membrane pumps Pgp or MRP-1 and resistance. However, where high level resistance was seen, the parent cell line expressed Pgp or MRP-1 and was accompanied by increased levels in the variants. Overall we found that the clinically relevant models used here are useful for investigating mechanisms of taxane resistance

MOVING HOUSE: URBAN ABORIGINAL HOUSING IN CANADA

Existing research shows that Aboriginal people in Canada have higher rates of mobility than the rest of the population. Mobility, along with rentalship have been linked to housing insecurity. Using the 2006 Canadian Census Data, descriptive statistics and regression analyses were run to investigate the differences in urban housing insecurity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada. To look at urban housing insecurity, rentalship was used as a proxy as those who rent in Canada are more vulnerable to housing instability than those who own. Urban Aboriginal people were found to be more susceptible to housing insecurity than Non-Aboriginal people. Overall, Status Aboriginals were the most vulnerable to housing insecurity, followed by Non­ Status Aboriginals, Métis, and then with Non-Aboriginal people being the least vulnerable to housing insecurity. These findings are important as they show that certain groups experience housing insecurity differently, which should be considered to develop appropriate interventions

Jagged1 and notch1 involvement in haematopoietic stem cell development

Previous studies have identified the Notch signalling pathway as an important regulator of haematopoietic development. However its role in definitive haematopoietic stem cell (dHSC) development is still unclear mainly due to the fact that Notch mutants die around mid- gestation before the emergence of the first dHSC. Here I investigated the role of the Notch signalling pathway in dHSC development focusing on the ligand Jaggedl and the receptor Notchl. I carried out a detailed characterisation of the expression pattern of Notchl and Jaggedl in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region, where dHSCs first emerge in the embryo, by immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry. I then determined, by sorting cells from the AGM region based on their level of Notchl, that Notchl was highly expressed in endothelial cells, precursors of dHSCs (called pre -HSC) and dHSCs, and its expression then decreases in haematopoietic progenitors.I also generated a Jaggedl dtTomato knock -in reporter mouse using a combination of recombineering and traditional cloning to produce a targeting vector, followed by targeting a B16 ES cell line, and producing a mouse line from a correctly targeted ES cell clonal line. This mouse line allowed me to visualise Jagged1 expression during dHSC development. With the line I showed that pre-HSCs express both Jagged1 and Notch1 and that Jagged1⁺Notch1⁺ cell surface marker phenotype can enrich the pre-HSC population 1 in 8.To further investigate the implication of Jagged1 in dHSC development the gene was conditionally deleted in the HSC lineage using a CD41-Cre. Our result indicated that Jagged1 is not required for HSC development in a cell autonomous manner. Furthermore, I carried out experiments with a conventional Jagged1 knock -out mouse line. It has previously been shown that Jagged1 null embryos die around E10.5 and contain fewer intra-haematopoietic progenitors. I used an explant culture system to culture E10.5 AGM regions from Jagged1⁻/⁻ embryos past the point of embryo lethality and in culture HSCs were produced. This result indicates that Jagged1⁻/⁻ embryos contain pre-HSCs that can mature efficiently into dHSC in vitro

Early-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is an overwhelming and devastating diagnosis for both patients and families. Now imagine if this diagnosis was made at age 55. Instead of looking forward to retirement and grandchildren, these people are preparing for a debilitating disease that will rob them of their memory, cognitive and functional abilities. Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (EOFAD) affects people before the age of 65. Although extremely rare, some exhibit symptoms as early as in their 30s. One of the things most frustrating about this disease is so little is known about its cause. That and the fact there is no cure. There is research which demonstrates a connection between three gene mutations and the incidence of EOFAD. Knowledge of the potential cause behind their disease may help some patients and families better understand and cope with this disease

Panel: Peer-Based Faculty Evaluation v. Student Evaluation of Teaching

Maintaining peer-based faculty evaluation: a case study involving student surveys of teachin

Panel: Peer-Based Faculty Evaluation v. Student Evaluation of Teaching

Maintaining peer-based faculty evaluation: a case study involving student surveys of teachin