In Review: Going beyond Google: The Invisible Web in learning and teaching

Book revie

Learning race and ethnicity: Youth and digital media

Book revie

Exploring Mattering and the Human-Animal Bond: The Impact of Service Dogs for Military Veterans at High Risk for Suicide

Despite ample anecdotal evidence, there are limited meaningful studies speaking to the important role that animal-assisted intervention (AAI) may have in reducing suicide risk. However, research is increasingly showing the viability of service dogs (SDs) being used as a complementary approach for military Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use harms – two of the strongest indicators for suicidality across any population. Using a critical suicidology approach with a One Health framework, my Master’s research utilized the concept of zooeyia - which recognizes the health benefits of animals in the lives of humans – to explore the significant role the human-animal bond (HAB) has in meditating suicidality. Using in-depth interview data from 28 transcripts that spanned an 18-month period, I undertook a secondary thematic analysis to explore the experiences of Canadian military Veterans at high risk for suicide working with SDs. My methodological approach used emotion and pattern coding to discover how the unique social support system enabled by the SDs can act as a catalyst to increase feelings of “mattering.” Mattering is a validated construct shown to reduce feelings of depression, loneliness, and hopelessness that are commonly associated with suicidal behavior. My study is the first of its kind, known to me, to show that feelings of mattering can exist between a human and animal; this conclusion is based on the presence of the indicators of mattering appearing between all Veteran and SD pairings within the sample. Further to this, the SDs were reported by the Veterans as being the direct catalyst in reducing self-harm and suicidality, while also promoting feelings of hope for “healing.” While acknowledgement of how context specificity and the unique lived experience of each person remains crucial for making sense of suicidality, the significant finding from this research has been the uncovering of the synergistic impact that mattering has in the lives of Veterans where the SD has been a bridge to improve their overall quality of life - a finding that may be critical in helping reduce future suicide risk among military Veterans

Oxidation Alters the Architecture of the Phenylalanyl-tRNA Synthetase Editing Domain to Confer Hyperaccuracy

High fidelity during protein synthesis is accomplished by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). These enzymes ligate an amino acid to a cognate tRNA and have proofreading and editing capabilities that ensure high fidelity. Phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) preferentially ligates a phenylalanine to a tRNAPhe over the chemically similar tyrosine, which differs from phenylalanine by a single hydroxyl group. In bacteria that undergo exposure to oxidative stress such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, tyrosine isomer levels increase due to phenylalanine oxidation. Several residues are oxidized in PheRS and contribute to hyperactive editing, including against mischarged Tyr-tRNAPhe, despite these oxidized residues not being directly implicated in PheRS activity. Here, we solve a 3.6 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of oxidized S. Typhimurium PheRS. We find that oxidation results in widespread structural rearrangements in the β-subunit editing domain and enlargement of its editing domain. Oxidization also enlarges the phenylalanyl-adenylate binding pocket but to a lesser extent. Together, these changes likely explain why oxidation leads to hyperaccurate editing and decreased misincorporation of tyrosine. Taken together, these results help increase our understanding of the survival of S. Typhimurium during human infection

Implementing and operationalising integrative approaches to sustainability in Higher Education: The role of project-oriented learning.

Higher education institutions across the world are increasingly placing an emphasis on students’ acquisition of a broader range of skills or attributes within the taught curriculum, which should lead to a widening of their chances of academic success, in particular in the employment market. Among other issues, matters related to sustainable development are playing a key role, but many universities do not yet cater for integrative approaches, which may help them to approach sustainability issues in a transformative way. It is therefore necessary to develop new approaches and methods, which may address this gap. Based on the importance of meeting this perceived research need, this paper defines the role of project-oriented learning, also designated as Project Based Learning, as a tool to support integrative approaches to sustainability in a higher education context. The scientific value of the paper lies in the provision of some examples of successful approaches to Project Based Learning and the identification of some of the trends that characterise it. The paper makes clear why project-oriented learning should be more widely used in support of integrative approaches to sustainability, and why it needs to become part of the routine of higher education institutions. The outline of some of the initiatives recently and currently being undertaken may inspire others and assist in the implementation of Project Based Learning