FRENCH COLONIALIST JOURNALS AND MOROCCO: A DECADE OF DEBATE BEFORE THE PROTECTORATE

After French colonization of Algeria in 1830, the expansion of France into additional colonies was a slow process. By 1900, few new colonies had been added to the French Empire and significant interest in colonization was limited to 10,000 men, the colonialists, who dedicated themselves to the expansion of the French Empire. These men came from the upper reaches of society had had a variety of reasons for desiring French colonialism. Whether for economic or nationalistic reasons, the colonialists formed formal groups, working both inside and outside of government to increase the size of the colonial empire. The journals of the leading colonialist groups, published regularly for decades, gives historians a detailed look at the reasons in favor of colonization. Beginning in 1900, the nation of Morocco in North Africa drew the attention of the colonialists. Over the next twelve years the journals and groups focused their attention in increasing measure on Morocco and the potential of a French colony there. By looking at how the coverage of Morocco in the journals changed over time, I examine how a nation that was relatively unknown and unimportant in 1900, became the most important colony for the French colonialists. By examining the journals by themselves, outside the context of other colonialist work, I show a clear pattern of increasing focus and concern on Morocco, as well as a move away from economic reasoning toward an argument of national honor

Lesson Plan For Teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald\u27s An Alcoholic Case

A lesson plan for teaching this story to high school or college and university students. Developed by a Swarthmore College student, Samantha Martin, with feedback from Professor Peter Schmidt, as a final assignment in English 71D, The Short Story in the U.S., fall 2018

Insensitivity of alkenone carbon isotopes to atmospheric CO₂ at low to moderate CO₂ levels

Atmospheric pCO2 is a critical component of the global carbon system and is considered to be the major control of Earth’s past, present and future climate. Accurate and precise reconstructions of its concentration through geological time are, therefore, crucial to our understanding of the Earth system. Ice core records document pCO2 for the past 800 kyrs, but at no point during this interval were CO2 levels higher than today. Interpretation of older pCO2 has been hampered by discrepancies during some time intervals between two of the main ocean-based proxy methods used to reconstruct pCO2: the carbon isotope fractionation that occurs during photosynthesis as recorded by haptophyte biomarkers (alkenones) and the boron isotope composition (δ11B) of foraminifer shells. Here we present alkenone and δ11B-based pCO2 reconstructions generated from the same samples from the Plio-Pleistocene at ODP Site 999 across a glacial-interglacial cycle. We find a muted response to pCO2 in the alkenone record compared to contemporaneous ice core and δ11B records, suggesting caution in the interpretation of alkenone-based records at low pCO2 levels. This is possibly caused by the physiology of CO2 uptake in the haptophytes. Our new understanding resolves some of the inconsistencies between the proxies and highlights that caution may be required when interpreting alkenone-based reconstructions of pCO2

Epigenetic Inheritance of a Cocaine Resistance Phenotype

A heritable phenotype resulting from the self-administration of cocaine in rats was delineated. We observed delayed acquisition and reduced maintenance of cocaine self-administration in male, but not female, offspring of sires that self-administered cocaine. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and protein were increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and there was an increased association of acetylated histone H3 with BDNF promoters only in the male offspring of cocaine-experienced sires. Administration of a BDNF receptor antagonist (the TrkB receptor antagonist ANA-12) reversed the diminished cocaine self-administration in male cocaine-sired rats. In addition, the association of acetylated histone H3 with BDNF promoters was increased in the sperm of sires that self-administered cocaine. Collectively, these findings indicate that voluntary paternal ingestion of cocaine results in epigenetic reprograming of the germline resulting in profound effects on mPFC gene expression and resistance to cocaine reinforcement in male offspring

Improving student learning and engagement in stem disciplines using team-based learning

Background: There have been numerous innovations in higher education which employ student centered teaching strategies to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. A study conducted by the Australian Council of Learned Academies for PMSEIC (Marginson et.al, 2013) recommends curriculum reform to engage students in STEM through active learning approaches. Team-Based Learning (TBL) can be regarded as one form of active learning. TBL consists of strategically‐formed permanent teams, a Readiness Assurance Process (RAP) and Application activities (Paramelee et.al, 2012). While TBL has not been implemented widely in STEM disciplines, several studies have shown that TBL has been effective in improving student learning outcomes, examination scores and graduate attribute skills (Koles 2010; Haberyan 2007; Thompson2007, Levine 2004) in medicine and health education. This well-defined teaching strategy promotes higher level cognitive skills among students and develops their problem solving and team skills through group-based work (Michaelson et.al, 1992). Objectives: To encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, to enhance independent learning, to improve student learning outcomes through teamwork and to strengthen efforts to retain a diverse students in STEM topics. Method: We trialed a modified form of TBL in a Physics and an Environmental Science first year topic. Students were given pre-class preparation materials and an individual RAP (Readiness Assurance) online test before the workshops. The Pre-workshop individual RAP test ensured that all students were exposed to concept based questions before their workshops and motivated them to use the preparatory materials in readiness for the workshop. The students were placed into random teams and during the first part of the workshop, the teams went through a subset of the quiz questions (team RAP test) and in the remaining time, teams completed an in-class assignment. At the end of the workshop teams handed in their solutions to the lecturer and these were marked and timely feedback was given. After the workshop students were allowed another attempt at the individual RAP test to see if their knowledge had improved. Research Design: The ability of TBL to promote student learning of key concepts was evaluated by experiment using pre & post testing. The pre-test was part of students’ assessment while the post-test was optional. Results: The students were highly engaged in their learning and very positive feedback from the students was received. After attending TBL workshops, the mean scores for both post-tests increased in both cohorts. Analysis of pre-post testing of 2nd, 4th TBL quizzes of physics cohort showed a significant impact (

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome secondary the intake of Senecio brasiliensis : a case report

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is a hepatic vascular disease histologically characterized by edema, necrosis, detachment of endothelial cells in small sinusoidal hepatic and interlobular veins and intrahepatic congestion, which leads to portal hypertension and liver dysfunction. In the Western world, most HSOS cases are associated with myeloablative pretreatment in a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation setting. Here we report a case of a 54 years old female patient, otherwise healthy, with no history of alcoholic ingestion, who presented with jaundice and signs of portal hypertension, including ascites and bilateral pleural effusion. She had no history of liver disease and denied any other risk factor for liver injury, except Senecio brasiliensis ingestion as a tea, prescribed as a therapy for menopause. Acute viral hepatitis and thrombosis of the portal system were excluded in complementary investigation, as well as sepsis, metastatic malignancy and other liver diseases, setting a RUCAM score of 6. Computed tomography demonstrated a diffuse liver parenchymal heterogeneity (in mosaic) and an extensive portosystemic collateral venous circulation, in the absence of any noticeable venous obstruction. HSOS diagnosis was confirmed through a liver biopsy. During the following-up period, patient developed refractory pleural effusion, requiring hemodialysis. Right before starting anticoagulation, she presented with abdominal pain and distention, with findings compatible of mesenteric ischemia by computed tomography. A laparotomy was performed, showing an 80 cm segment of small bowel ischemia, and resection was done. She died one day after as a result from a septic shock refractory to treatment. The presented case was related to oral intake of S. brasiliensis, a plant containing pyrrolidine alkaloids, which are one of the main causes of HSOS in the East, highlighting the risk of liver injury with herbs intake

MicroRNA Expression in a Readily Accessible Common Hepatic Artery Lymph Node Predicts Time to Pancreatic Cancer Recurrence Postresection

Lymph node involvement in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) predicts postresection survival, but early lymph node metastasis detection is not easily accomplished. We assessed a panel of microRNAs (miRNAs) in a common hepatic artery lymph node (station 8) that is readily accessible during pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) to determine if increased miRNA levels correlate with postresection recurrence. Station 8 lymph nodes overlying the common hepatic artery collected during PD were assayed for miRNA-10b, miRNA-30c, miRNA-21, and miRNA-155 and cytokeratin-19 (CK19), an epithelial cell marker, using quantitative PCR. Expression was correlated with disease recurrence, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Station 8 lymph nodes from 37 patients (30 periampullary carcinomas (PCs), 2 chronic pancreatitis, 5 other cancers) exhibited increased miRNA-10b levels in 14/30 PCs, and in 10 of these 14 patients, cancer recurred during the study period (2012–2015). High miRNA-10b was also associated with shorter RFS (42.5 vs. 92.4 weeks, p < 0.05) but not OS, whereas miRNA-30c, miRNA-21, and miRNA-155 levels and CK19 mRNA levels in station 8 nodes were variable and did not correlate with RFS or OS. We conclude that elevated miRNA-10b levels in station 8 lymph nodes could be utilized to assess risk for early disease progression in patients with periampullary tumors

A review of the Indonesian species of the family Signiphoridae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea), with description of three new species.

Volume: 897Start Page: 29-4