Developing a vision of a sustainable community

University Strategic Plans provide the institutional context for situating learning and teaching goals alongside research, community engagement, staff, students, and international outlook, and business and enterprise. This paper describes a developing vision and three key implementation strategies to focus on innovation in learning and teaching. the trigger for its development was provided by the Carrick Institute\u27s Excellence Initiative funding. Formulation of the grant application crystallised an analysis of current gaps in support for staff wishing to engage with Award, Grant and Fellowship opportunities at the institutional and national level.The aim of the the Promoting Excellence Initiative (PEI) at the University of Wollongong is to develop a sustainable community with a passion for learning and teaching innovation, and the means to achieve their goals. the three key strategies identified as a starting point for engaging a larger community of practice in progressing the vision are a distributed network of learning and teaching mentors, enhanced systems for recording and sharing practice, and an evolving program of practice celebrations.The authors have analysed and reflected on the seemingly rapid progress of gap analysis and strategy formulation that has, in reality taken three years; numerous opportunities for collaboration with a large number of university staff; and a significant intellectual and time commitment by a core team in the Excellence, Diversity and Innovation in Teaching Subcommittee (EDITS) of the University Education Committee. The critical tensions between formal and informal opportunities for collaboration are highlighted

Introduction

Deserted Villages: Perspectives from the Eastern Mediterranean is a collection of case studies examining the abandonment of rural settlements over the past millennium and a half, focusing on modern-day Greece with contributions from Turkey and the United States. Unlike other parts of the world, where deserted villages have benefited from decades of meticulous archaeological research, in the eastern Mediterranean better-known ancient sites have often overshadowed the nearby remains of more recently abandoned settlements. Yet as the papers in this volume show, the tide is finally turning toward a more engaged, multidisciplinary, and anthropologically informed archaeology of medieval and post-medieval rural landscapes. The inspiration for this volume was a two-part colloquium organized for the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in San Francisco. The sessions were sponsored by the Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology Interest Group, a rag-tag team of archaeologists who set out in 2005 with the dual goals of promoting the study of later material and cultural heritage and opening publication venues to the fruits of this research. The introduction to the volume reviews the state of the field and contextualizes the archaeological understanding of abandonment and post-abandonment as ongoing processes. The nine, peer reviewed chapters, which have been substantially revised and expanded since the colloquium, offer unparalleled glimpses into how this process has played out in different places. In the first half, the studies focus on long-abandoned sites that have now entered the archaeological record. In the second half, the studies incorporate archival analysis and ethnographic interviews—alongside the archaeologists’ hyper-attention to material culture—to examine the processes of abandonment and post-abandonment in real time

Yield instability of winter oilseed rape modulated by early winter temperature

Yield stability is a major problem in oilseed rape with inter-annual variation accounting for between 30–50% of the crop value among the major global rapeseed producers. The United Kingdom has persistent problems with yield instability, but the underlying causes remain unclear. We tested whether temperature plays a role in UK winter oilseed rape (WOSR) yield variation through analysis of aggregated country-wide on-farm yield data and in annual Recommended List variety trial data run by the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Our analyses of the two independent datasets both show that mean temperature in early winter is strongly and uniquely linked to variation in WOSR yield, with a rise in mean temperature of 1 °C associated with an average reduction of 113 (+−21) kg ha−1 in yield. We propose that understanding the mechanism by which early winter chilling affects WOSR yield will enable the breeding of varieties with a more stable and resilient yield in Western Europe as climatic variation increases

Social media platforms as complex and contradictory spaces for feminisms: Visibility, opportunity, power, resistance and activism

YesThis special issue on feminisms and social media is published at a unique point in time, namely when social media platforms are routinely utilised for communication from the mundane to the extraordinary, to offer support and solidarity, and to blame and victimise. Collectively, social media are online technologies that provide the ability for community building and interaction (Boyd & Ellison, 2007), allowing people to interact, share, create and consume online content (Lyons, McCreanor, Goodwin, & Moewaka Barnes, 2017). They include such platforms as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tinder, and Snapchat among others

Cutting Edge : Failure of Antigen-Specific CD4+ T Cell Recruitment to the Kidney during Systemic Candidiasis

Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Acknowledgments We thank E. Bolton and H. Bagavant for reagents and advice. We also acknowledge the staff of the Medical Research Facility at the University of Aberdeen for care of the animals used in this study. This work was supported by the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

010.645 Global, Transnational, and Postcolonial Modernism: Critical Engagements

Acknowledging the central role art from around the globe played in the production of the modern, this seminar will engage with the emergent art historical, methodological, and theoretical literature shaping the history of modern art after the global turn. Particular case studies of regional art movements (in e.g. Cuba, Brazil, India, Japan, Iran, Nigeria) alongside discussion of key exhibitions and institutions. A special focus on the theoretical interlocutors for art movements and artists around the world, such as Fanon, Glissant, Bhabha, Chow, Spivak, Freire

Role of renal prostaglandins during antidiuresis and water diuresis in man

Role of renal prostaglandins during antidiuresis and water diuresis in man. The relationship of renal prostaglandins to antidiuretic hormone action and water diuresis was examined in 13 normal subjects and 2 subjects with diabetes insipidus. Following overnight water deprivation, an oral water load caused a prompt and sustained rise in the rate of urinary PGE2 excretion from 7.7 ± 1.2 to 81.6 ± 26.4 ng/hr (P < 0.0001) in 7 normal subjects. Because the simultaneous increase in urinary excretion of urea was only 17% of the rise in urinary PGE2, passive wash-out of renal PGE2 probably accounts for only a small fraction of the increment in PGE2 excretion. Administration of the antidiuretic hormone analogue DDAVP to 6 normal subjects during sustained water diuresis resulted in a decrease in PGE2 excretion and urine flow rate comparable to that of dehydrated subjects. Thus, PGE2 excretion varied directly with urine flow rate over a wide range of states of hydration in all 13 normal subjects. One patient with central diabetes insipidus and one with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus demonstrated a similar positive correlation of PGE2 excretion rate and urinary flow rate in states of hydration, dehydration, and after administration of DDAVP. In the patient with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, this relationship of PGE2 excretion rate to urine flow rate was unaffected by DDAVP over a broad range of urine flow rates. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin in 6 normal subjects resulted in a significant decline in free water clearance (7.7 ± 1.0 to 4.7 ± 0.9 ml/min, P < 0.001) and an increase in the minimal UOSM (61 ± 4 to 93 ± 19 mOsm/kg, P < 0.01) achieved during water diuresis without a change in creatinine or osmolar clearances. Furthermore, the tightly linked relationship of PGE2 excretion rate to urine flow rate was reduced in 5 of 6 subjects during indomethacin treatment. We conclude that urinary PGE2 excretion varies directly with urine flow rate and is not directly dependent on ADH activity or state of hydration in man. The rise in PGE2 excretion during water diuresis may enhance the excretion of free water since indomethacin treatment blunted free water clearance while suppressing the rise in PGE2 excretion.Rôle des prostaglandines rénales au cours de l'antidiurèse et de la diurèse aqueuse chez l'homme. La relation entre les prostaglandines rénales et l'action de l'hormone antidiurétique et la diurèse aqueuse a été étudiée chez 13 sujets normaux et 2 sujets atteints de diabète insipide. A la suite d'une restriction d'eau pendant la nuit précédant l'étude, une charge d'eau par voie orale a déterminé une augmentation rapide et prolongée du débit urinaire de PGE2 de 7,7 ± 1,2 à 81,6 ± 26,4 ng/hr (P < 0,001) chez 7 sujets normaux. Puisque l'augmentation simultanée de l'excrétion urinaire d'urée était seulement de 17% de l'augmentation de la PGE2 urinaire, un lavage passif de la PGE2 rénale explique probablement une partie seulement de l'augmentation de l'excrétion de PGE2. L'administration d'un analogue de l'hormone antidiurétique, DDAVP, à 6 sujets normaux au cours d'une diurèse aqueuse prolongée a eu pour conséquence une diminution de l'excrétion de PGE2 et du débit urinaire comparable à celle des sujets déshydratés. Ainsi l'excrétion de PGE2 varie directement avec le débit urinaire sur un large éventail d'états d'hydratation chez tous les 13 sujets normaux. Un malade atteint de diabète insipide central et un malade atteint de diabète insipide néphrogénique ont eu une corrélation positive semblable du débit d'excrétion de PGE et du débit urinaire dans les états d'hydratation, de déshydratation, et après l'administration de DDAVP. Chez le malade atteint de diabète insipide néphrogénique, cette relation de l'excrétion de PGE2 au débit urinaire n'a pas été affectée par DDAVP sur un large éventail de valeurs du débit urinaire. L'inhibition de la synthèse de prostaglandine par l'indométhacine chez 6 sujets normaux a eu pour conséquence une diminution significative de la clairance de l'eau libre (7,7 ± 1,0 à 4,7 ± 0,9 ml/mn, P < 0,001) et une augmentation de la valeur minimale de UOSM (61 ± 4 à 93 ± 19 mOsm/kg, P < 0,01) obtenues au cours d'une diurèse aqueuse sans modification de la clairance de la créatinine ou de la clairance osmolaire. De plus, la relation étroite entre l'excrétion de PGE2 et le débit urinaire a été réduite chez 5 des 6 sujets au cours du traitement par l'indométhacine. Nous concluons que l'excrétion urinaire de PGE2 varie directement avec le débit urinaire et n'est pas directement dépendante de l'activité de l'ADH ou de l'état d'hydratation chez l'homme. L'augmentation de l'excrétion de PGE2 au cours de la diurèse aqueuse peut accroître l'excrétion d'eau libre puisque le traitement par l'indométhacine atténue la clairance de l'eau libre en même temps qu'il supprime l'augmentation de l'excrétion de PGE2

Evaluation of resting traps to examine the behaviour and ecology of mosquito vectors in an area of rapidly changing land use in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

BACKGROUND: Widespread deforestation occurring in the tropics is hypothesized to impact the transmission of vector-borne diseases (VBD). Predicting how environmental changes will impact VBD transmission is dependent on understanding the ecology and behaviour of potential vector species outside of domestic settings. However there are few reliable sampling tools for measuring the habitat preference and host choice of mosquito vectors; with almost none suitable for sampling recently blood-fed, resting mosquitoes. This study evaluated the use of two mosquito traps: the resting bucket (RB) and sticky resting bucket (SRB) traps relative to CDC backpack aspiration (CDC) for sampling mosquitoes resting in a range of habitats representing a gradient of deforestation. Eight habitats were selected for sampling around two villages in Kudat District, Malaysian Borneo, to reflect the range of habitats available to mosquitoes in and around human dwellings, and nearby forest habitats where reservoir hosts are present: secondary forest (edge, interior and canopy); plantations (palm and rubber); and human settlements (inside, under and around houses). RESULTS: Over 31 days, 2243 mosquitoes were collected in 5748 discrete collections. Nine mosquito genera were sampled with Aedes and Culex species being present in all habitats and most abundant. RB and CDC backpack aspiration were most efficient for sampling Culex whereas CDC backpack aspiration and SRB were most efficient for Aedes. Most Aedes identified to species level were Ae. albopictus (91%), with their abundance being highest in forest edge habitats. In contrast, Culex were most abundant under houses. Most blood-fed mosquitoes (76%) were found in human settlements; with humans and chickens being the only blood source. CONCLUSIONS: RB and SRB traps proved capable of sampling mosquitoes resting in all sampled habitats. However, sampling efficiency was generally low (c.0.1 per trap per day), necessitating traps to be deployed in high numbers for mosquito detection. None of the traps were effective for sampling zoonotic malaria vectors; however, SRB collected relatively higher numbers of the dengue vector Ae. albopictus. The higher abundance of mosquitoes in forest edge habitats indicates the potential value of these traps for investigating sylvatic dengue transmission. This study has demonstrated the merits in application of simple resting traps for characterising mosquito vector resting behaviour outside of the home

Candida albicans colonization and dissemination from the murine gastrointestinal tract : the influence of morphology and Th17 immunity

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (086558, 080088, 102705), a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award (097377) and a studentship from the University of Aberdeen. D.K. was supported by grant 5R01AI083344 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and by a Voelcker Young Investigator Award from the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund.Peer reviewedPublisher PD