International Preservice: Preparing Ontario’s Teachers for Diversity?

This research study explores the impact of international teaching experiences on new teachers in Ontario. Teaching experience overseas has been shown to prepare new teachers in supporting the diversity and multiculturalism present in their classrooms. Through semi- structured interviews with three educators in Ontario, I was able to gain understanding into the ways that their experiences influenced their pedagogy and employability. Participants reported that their experiences abroad contributed to their personal and professional growth, strengthened their intercultural competencies and finally, had an impact on their employment. The findings of this study suggest that teaching experience overseas has far-reaching impacts on teachers’ insights on empathy, equity and diversity. Thus teachers with these skills can be an asset in supporting the diverse body of students in Ontario

A pilot exploratory investigation on pregnant women’s views regarding STan fetal monitoring technology

Abstract Background Women’s views are critical for informing the planning and delivery of maternity care services. ST segment analysis (STan) is a promising method to more accurately detect when unborn babies are at risk of brain damage or death during labour that is being trialled for the first time in Australia. This is the first study to examine women’s views about STan monitoring in this context. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pregnant women recruited across a range of clinical locations at the study hospital. The interviews included hypothetical scenarios to assess women’s prospective views about STan monitoring (as an adjunct to cardiotocography, (CTG)) compared to the existing fetal monitoring method of CTG alone. This article describes findings from an inductive and descriptive thematic analysis. Results Most women preferred the existing fetal monitoring method compared to STan monitoring; women’s decision-making was multifaceted. Analysis yielded four themes relating to women’s views towards fetal monitoring in labour: a) risk and labour b) mobility in labour c) autonomy and choice in labour d) trust in maternity care providers. Conclusions Findings suggest that women’s views towards CTG and STan monitoring are multifaceted, and appear to be influenced by individual labour preferences and the information being received and understood. This underlies the importance of clear communication between maternity care providers and women about technology use in intrapartum care. This research is now being used to inform the implementation of the first properly powered Australian randomised trial comparing STan and CTG monitoring

A novel isoform of IL-33 revealed by screening for transposable element promoted genes in human colorectal cancer - Fig 1

<p>A) Comparison of numbers of TE-initiated chimeric transcripts between normal and cancer samples based on stringent thresholds (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0180659#sec002" target="_blank">Methods</a>). The total number of such transcripts of each TE class was adjusted by their genomic coverage, and also normalized by the expected expression based on all chimeric transcripts in normal samples (the red dotted line). The box plot shows an interquartile range of 50% for each sample group, and outlier samples are shown when the numbers of chimeric transcripts are beyond one interquartile range from the edge of box. P-values are based on T-test. B) Similar plot for the three major ERV classes. C) Total numbers of LTR-initiated chimeric transcripts between normal and cancer samples of each individual patient based on stringent thresholds. The cancer and normal sample pair of each individual is shown as side-by-side bars in blue and orange, respectively. The height of the bars shows the total number of chimeras in each sample corrected by the library size.</p

Difference in total <i>IL-33</i> expression (in RPKM) between matched normal-tumor pairs compared to the LTR-IL-33 exon RPKM in each cancer library.

<p>For each RNA-seq library, RPKM of each <i>IL-33</i> exon was calculated. Total gene expression was measured by the mean of exons 3–7, those common to both the native- and LTR-isoforms.</p

LS513 or HCT116 cells were cultured to confluence, changed into serum-free media and confluent cells “wounded” with pipette tip (wound healing assay, WHA) or not (control, C).

<p>After 24h, conditioned media was collected for TCA precipitation of released proteins. Alternatively, LS513 or HUVEC cells were cultured to confluence, and lysates prepared using standard procedures, as a positive control. Media precipitate and lysates were analysed by Western blotting for expression of released or endogenous IL-33 isoforms. Subsequently, the blot membrane was stained with amido black to show protein loading in each lane. Double arrow denotes LTR-IL-33, single arrow denotes cleavage product.</p

Representative UCSC genome browser views (hg19) of the <i>SLO1B3</i> and <i>IL-33</i> genes.

<p>A) RNA-seq coverage tracks and assembled transcripts for two CRC samples are shown below the RefSeq track for <i>SLO1B3</i>, with the Repeatmasker track below. Position of the normal first exon is boxed with a dashed black line. Position of the LTR derived first exon is shown with a green dashed box and a close-up of this region shown below. The transcript initiates in an antisense LTR7 and utilizes a splice donor site within an adjacent MER4C LTR. B) Similar view for the <i>IL-33</i> locus, showing two CRC samples (in red) and the matched normal samples (in blue). The MSTD LTR that initiates transcription in cancer samples is located in the 2nd intron and the position highlighted by a dashed green box. For both A and B, blue and red stars show locations of RT-PCR forward primers used to validate expression from the native or LTR promoter, respectively. The black star shows location of the common reverse primer.</p

Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of native and LTR-IL-33 mRNA expression was carried out in HUVEC and colorectal cancer cell lines LS513 and HT115.

<p>Beta-actin levels were also assessed as an internal control.</p

Promoter and methylation analysis.

<p>A) The MSTD LTR is in three sections, being interrupted by two antisense Alu elements. Part of the last Alu and the 3’ most LTR section are not shown. Long, intermediate and short sections of the MSTD LTR / Alu sequence were cloned into the pGL4 vector immediately upstream of the luciferase gene. Locations of primers are shown as bars at the top and also in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0180659#pone.0180659.s013" target="_blank">S8 Fig</a>. The LTR-IL-33 transcriptional start site (TSS) is also shown (blue arrow). (B) The “short”, “intermediate” and “long” luciferase constructs were transfected into LS513 cells and activity assessed by luciferase assay. Data from 2 independent experiments is shown. (C) Bisulfite sequencing of native and MSTD-LTR IL-33 promoters. The promoter regions of the LTR-IL-33-expressing cell lines HT115 and LS513, and the native IL-33-expressing cell line HUVEC were subjected to bisulphite analysis where CpGs were available. Filled circles represent methylated CpGs, empty circles represent unmethylated CpGs and each row represents an independent clone. The locations of transcription start sites (TSS) are shown with green arrows.</p

Examples of cancer-specific, recurrent TE-promoted chimeric transcripts in colon cancer.

<p>Examples of cancer-specific, recurrent TE-promoted chimeric transcripts in colon cancer.</p