What’s behind the ag-data logo? An examination of voluntary agricultural-data codes of practice

In this article, we analyse agricultural data (ag-data) codes of practice. After the introduction, Part II examines the emergence of ag-data codes of practice and provides two case studies—the American Farm Bureau’s Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data and New Zealand’s Farm Data Code of Practice—that illustrate that the ultimate aims of ag-data codes of practice are inextricably linked to consent, disclosure, transparency and, ultimately, the building of trust. Part III highlights the commonalities and challenges of ag-data codes of practice. In Part IV several concluding observations are made. Most notably, while ag-data codes of practice may help change practices and convert complex details about ag-data contracts into something tangible, understandable and useable, it is important for agricultural industries to not hastily or uncritically accept or adopt ag-data codes of practice. There needs to be clear objectives, and a clear direction in which stakeholders want to take ag-data practices. In other words, stakeholders need to be sure about what they are trying, and able, to achieve with ag-data codes of practice. Ag-data codes of practice need credible administration, accreditation and monitoring. There also needs to be a way of reviewing and evaluating the codes in a more meaningful way than simple metrics such as the number of members: for example, we need to know something about whether the codes raise awareness and education around data practices, and, perhaps most importantly, whether they encourage changes in attitudes and behaviours around the access to and use of ag-data

Perceptions of large-scale, standardised testing in religious education: How do religious educators perceive The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment?

This research provides a Western Australian perspective of teaching and assessing Religious Education (RE) in Catholic schools. The perspective recognises RE as a learning area reserved for classroom instruction. This educational focus aligns RE with other learning areas as well as highlights the important role that RE plays in the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church. A pragmatic approach to research was implemented to focus on religious educators’ perceptions of a large-scale, standardised assessment in RE called The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA). This assessment is developed by the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia. The research surveyed 238 religious educators working in Catholic primary and secondary schools. These religious educators were teachers and school leaders responsible for delivering a RE curriculum common to all four Catholic dioceses in Western Australia. The religious educators were also responsible for preparing students aged eight to fifteen in three Year levels for the administration of the BRLA. Three aspects regarding the religious educators’ perceptions were explored using mixed methods research. The first aspect was how religious educators perceived the purpose and role of the BRLA. The second, how religious educators responded to the different components that comprise the administration and implementation of the assessment. The third, how the religious educators’ perceptions of the BRLA influenced their teaching and assessment practices in RE. The mixed methods research was conducted over two phases. Phase One involved the collection and analysis of response data from an online questionnaire. Phase Two used individual and group interviews to further investigate the religious educators’ perceptions of the BRLA. The research findings suggest that the religious educators’ perceptions of the BRLA were contrasting and complex. This complexity seems to be a product of an interplay between individual and collective perceptions of teaching RE and using large-scale, standardised assessments. That is, the meaning that the religious educators attributed to the BRLA and the influence their perceptions had on their teaching and assessment practices in RE are interconnected. Furthermore, a connection is evident in how the religious educators interpreted their professional training and teaching experiences in RE and, in turn, prepared for and engaged with the administration of the assessment. These findings act as a stimulus for professional dialogue and collaboration between teachers, school leaders and system administrators who are willing to improve the quality of student learning in RE

Persistent left superior vena cava in cardiac congenital surgery

La persistance d'une veine cave supérieure gauche (VCSG) est une entité relativement fréquente dans le cadre des malformations cardiaques congénitales. Le but de cette étude est d'analyser à quel moment le diagnostic de la persistance de la VCSG est effectué, à quel moment le diagnostic des éventuelles anomalies du sinus coronarien associées est effectué, et de l'impact global de la persistance d'une VCSG sur la mortalité et la morbidité des patients après chirurgie cardiaque pour une malformation cardiaque congénitale. Analyse rétrospective d'une cohorte d'enfants ayant subi une chirurgie cardiaque avec circulation extracorporelle pour une malformation cardiaque congénitale. Trois-cent septante et un patients ont été inclus dans l'étude avec un âge médian de 2.75 ans (IQR 0.65-6.63). Parmi eux, 47 patients présentaient une persistance de la VCSG (12.7%), et cette persistance de la VCSG a été identifiée par échocardiographie dans le cadre du bilan préopératoire chez 39 patients (83%). Trois patients (6.4%) présentant une persistance de la VCSG, ont développé après chirurgie cardiaque, une obstruction significative de la voie d'entrée du ventricule gauche qui a aboutit à un débit cardiaque anormal ou à une hypertension pulmonaire secondaire. Chez huit patients (17%), la persistance de la VCSG, était associée à un défaut partiel ou total de fermeture du sinus coronarien et dans deux cas (4%) à une atrésie de l'ostium du sinus coronarien. La durée de la ventilation mécanique était plus courte de façon significative dans le groupe contrôle (1.2 vs. 3.0 jours, p = 0.004), tandis que la durée de séjour aux soins intensifs ne différait pas. La mortalité était significativement moins élevée dans le groupe contrôle que dans le groupe de patient avec persistance de la VCSG (2.5 vs. 10.6 %, p = 0.004). Les résultats de cette étude montrent que la persistance de la VCSG en association avec une malformation cardiaque congénitale augmente le risque de mortalité chez les enfants qui subissent une chirurgie cardiaque avec circulation extracorporelle. La mise en évidence d'une persistance de la VCSG et des anomalies associées, s'impose pour éviter des complications pendant et après une chirurgie cardiaque

Early Immune Response Elicited by Different Trypanosoma cruzi Infective Stages

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that affects millions of people in Latin America. Infection occurs by vectorial transmission or by transfusion or transplacental route. Immune events occurring immediately after the parasite entrance are poorly explored. Dendritic cells (DCs) are target for the parasite immune evasion mechanisms. Recently, we have demonstrated that two different populations of DCs display variable activation after interaction with the two infective forms of the parasite: metacyclic or blood trypomastigotes (mTp or bTp) in vitro. The skin constitutes a complex network with several populations of antigen-presenting cells. Previously, we have demonstrated T. cruzi conditioning the repertoire of cells recruited into the site of infection. In the present work, we observed that mTp and bTp inoculation displayed differences in cell recruitment to the site of infection and in the activation status of APCs in draining lymph nodes and spleen during acute infection. Animals inoculated with mTp exhibited 100% of survival with no detectable parasitemia, in contrast with those injected with bTp that displayed high mortality and high parasite load. Animals infected with mTp and challenged with a lethal dose of bTp 15 days after primary infection showed no mortality and incremented DC activation in secondary lymphoid organs compared with controls injected only with bTp or non-infected mice. These animals also displayed a smaller number of amastigote nests in cardiac tissue and more CD8 T cells than mice infected with bTp. All the results suggest that both Tp infective stages induce an unequal immune response since the beginning of the infection.Fil: Gutierrez, Brenda Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Lammel, Estela María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: González, Stella Maris. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Poncini, Carolina Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; Argentin

Galectins in Chagas disease: A missing link between Trypanosoma cruzi infection, inflammation, and tissue damage

Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite causative agent of Chagas disease, affects about seven million people worldwide, representing a major global public health concern with relevant socioeconomic consequences, particularly in developing countries. In this review, we discuss the multiple roles of galectins, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, in modulating both T. cruzi infection and immunoregulation. Specifically, we focus on galectin-driven circuits that link parasite invasion and inflammation and reprogram innate and adaptive immune responses. Understanding the dynamics of galectins and their β-galactoside-specific ligands during the pathogenesis of T. cruzi infection and elucidating their roles in immunoregulation, inflammation, and tissue damage offer new rational opportunities for treating this devastating neglected disease.Fil: Poncini, Carolina Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Benatar, Alejandro Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Karina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin