Ludic literacies at the intersections of cultures: an interview with James Paul Gee

Professor James Gee addresses issues of linguistics, literacies and cultures. Gee emphasises the importance of Discourses, and argues that the future of literacy studies lies in the interrogation of new media and the globalisation of culture

All for One and One for All! Disparity Between Overall Crew’s and Individual Rowers’ Pacing Strategies During Rowing

Purpose: This study examined individual contributions to overall pacing strategy during 2- and 5-km rowing trials in a cox-less-4 boat. Methods: A crew of 4 male rowers performed maximal-effort on-water trials over 2 and 5 km, and power output during every individual stroke was measured for each crew member. Mean overall boat and individual rower stroke power were calculated for each 25% epoch (25% of total strokes taken), and power for each individual epoch was calculated as a percentage of mean power maintained over the entire distance. The coefficient of variation was used to determine stroke-to-stroke and epoch-to-epoch variability for individual rowers and the overall boat. Results: In both trials, the overall pacing strategy consisted of a high power output in the initial 25% that decreased in the middle 50% and increased again in the final 25%. However, individual rower data indicate wide variation in individual power profiles that did not always mimic the overall boat profile. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that overall boat power profiles during 2- and 5-km rowing trials are similar to velocity profiles previously reported for individual ergometry and on-water racing events. However, this over-all profile is achieved despite considerable variation in individual rower profiles. Further research is warranted to determine the mechanisms through which individual contributions to overall pacing strategy are regulated and the effectiveness or oth-erwise of seemingly disparate individual strategies on overall performance

The impact of elementary principal supervision on public prekindergarten classrooms and student development

This study examined the impact of public elementary principal supervision, and prior prekindergarten coursework/experience on the measured quality of public prekindergarten classrooms and students\u27 developmental outcomes. Pretest-posttest results indicated that students\u27 developmental outcomes significantly improved across six early learning domains in all three of the independent variable principal conditions where (a) principals supervised and had prior prekindergarten coursework/experience or (b) principals supervised and did not have prior prekindergarten coursework/experience or (c) principals who did not supervise their prekindergarten classrooms. However, posttest-posttest results comparing student\u27s developmental outcomes indicated no patterns of significant differences between the three principal conditions. Furthermore, posttest-posttest classroom quality measures were also found to be equivalent. Spearman rank order correlation coefficient analysis indicated no significant relationship between the rank order of the measured quality of classrooms and the rank order of mean classroom gains for student developmental outcomes. Results suggest scale up of prekindergarten classroom at a pace that ensures continued quality program development

Ethical considerations with regard to the sanctity of human life

No Abstract

Reframing viral infections as acute metabolic disorders: dengue viruses and their dependency on host metabolic pathways

2022 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Dengue viruses (DENVs) are the etiological agent of the world's most aggressive arthropod-borne disease. At present, there are no available antivirals against DENVs. This fact underscores a dire need to examine host-virus interactions to identify and develop novel therapeutic approaches. As obligate intracellular parasites, DENVs are reliant upon and hijack several host metabolic pathways both to fulfill their replicative needs, and to evade the host immune response. We and others have previously established that infection with DENVs causes significant perturbation to host lipid metabolism, including elevations in sphingolipids in both the human and mosquito host. In addition, we and others previously discovered that the DENV NS1 protein increases sialidase activity in both in vitro and in vivo models leading to increased endothelial hyperpermeability and vascular leakage which are hallmarks of severe dengue. To further clarify and characterize these previous works, we have performed siRNA-mediated loss of function studies using human hepatoma cells (Huh7 cells) on several metabolic pathways altered during DENV2 infection. First, we examined the role of acyl-CoA thioesterases, enzymes responsible for controlling the intracellular balance of activated fatty acids and free fatty acids, on the DENV2 lifecycle. In these analyses, we determined that the cytosolic ACOT1 enzyme had an inhibitory effect on DENV2 replication and release, while mitochondrial ACOT (ACOTs 2 and 7) functionality was critical for viral replication and release. Moreover, we identified several enzymes within the ACOT family whose expression was dependent on ACOT2 and ACOT7 expression. These results highlighted complex relationships between ACOTs and DENVs, as well as identified yet unknown functional interdependence between ACOT enzymes. Next, we expanded our previous understanding of the relationship between DENVs and the human sialidase enzymes (NEU1-4). While previously studies linked upregulation of these enzymes with DENV2 pathology, we provide the first evidence showing that NEU1-4 functionality is vital for DENV2 genome replication and viral egress. Moreover, our analyses also revealed previously unknown functionality of NEU4 or its downstream products as transcriptional regulators for NEU1-3. Finally, we provide the first profile of the effect of loss of function of enzymes within the entire sphingolipid metabolic pathway (as identified through KEGG pathway database) on the DENV2 life cycle. In this study, we identified that enzymes involved the sphingomyelinase and salvage pathways of ceramide synthesis as opposed to de novo ceramide synthesis were critical to DENV2 release from Huh7 cells. In addition, we determined that enzymes involved in the synthesis and degradation of glycosphingolipids were vital for DENV2 release. An especially intriguing result within this arm of sphingolipid metabolism was that the two enzymes which hydrolyze GluCer had differential effects on DENV2 replication and release. GBA1 (lysosomal) had an antiviral effect on DENV2, while GBA2 (non-lysosomal) was required for DENV2 replication and release. This prompted us to profile the changes that occur to glycosphingolipids (GSLs) during infection, and we uncovered several species of GSLs that are elevated during infection. Moreover, we identified that Ambroxol HCl, a pharmaceutical GBA1 chaperone/GBA2 inhibitor, was able to abrogate these elevations in GSLs. Combined, our results allowed us to propose a novel function for GBA2 as a GluCer recycling enzyme during DENV2 infection. In conclusion, together, the work in this dissertation highlights critical metabolic nodes that impact virus replication and provides new directions for investigating viral infections as acute metabolic diseases

Shaping educational attitudes and aspirations: the influence of parents, place and poverty: stage 1 report

An interim report of a study which aims to better understand the relationship between children’s aspirations in relation to education and employment, and the context in which they are formed. In particular, the study seeks to explore how parental circumstances and attitudes, the school as an institution, and the opportunity structures of the neighbourhood come together to shape aspirations in deprived urban areas. This report examines: • The assumptions of current policy that aspirations are a key ingredient of educational and labour market outcomes; • What aspirations are and how they can be understood; • What young people’s aspirations are for further and higher education and for future occupations in three secondary schools; • The main influences on those aspirations, including the roles of parents, schools and the neighbourhood context • Messages for the second stage of the research and emerging lessons for policy. The report provides some evidence to question the assumption among policy makers that there is a ‘poverty of aspirations’ among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds or living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods

Multiple QTL for horticultural traits and quantitative resistance to Phytophthora infestans linked on Solanum habrochaites chromosome 11.

Previously, a Phytophthora infestans resistance QTL from Solanum habrochaites chromosome 11 was introgressed into cultivated tomato (S. lycopersicum). Fine mapping of this resistance QTL using near-isogenic lines (NILs) revealed some co-located QTL with undesirable effects on plant size, canopy density, and fruit size traits. Subsequently, higher-resolution mapping with sub-NILs detected multiple P. infestans resistance QTL within this 9.4-cM region of chromosome 11. In our present study, these same sub-NILs were also evaluated for 17 horticultural traits, including yield, maturity, fruit size and shape, fruit quality, and plant architecture traits in replicated field experiments over 2 years. The horticultural trait QTL originally detected by fine mapping each fractionated into two or more QTL at higher resolution. A total of 34 QTL were detected across all traits, with 14% exhibiting significant QTL × environment interactions (QTL × E). QTL for many traits were co-located, suggesting either pleiotropic effects or tight linkage among genes controlling these traits. Recombination in the pericentromeric region of the introgression between markers TG147 and At4g10050 was suppressed to approximately 29.7 Mbp per cM, relative to the genomewide average of 750 kbp per cM. The genetic architecture of many of the horticultural and P. infestans resistance traits that mapped within this chromosome 11 S. habrochaites region is complex. Complicating factors included fractionation of QTL, pleiotropy or tight linkage of QTL for multiple traits, pericentromeric chromosomal location(s), and/or QTL × E. High-resolution mapping of QTL in this region would be needed to determine which specific target QTL could be useful in breeding cultivated tomato

Roles of Fiscal Policy in New Zealand

Economic growth is one of the objectives of the current government. Fiscal policy, encompassing government expenditure and taxation decisions, can significantly impact on economic growth. This paper proposes a framework which views fiscal policy through three lenses and applies this approach to consider how fiscal policy affects economic growth. The three lenses are: fiscal sustainability, fiscal structure and fiscal stabilisation. The paper reviews international literature pertaining to these three lenses and discusses the extent to which these lenses are incorporated into New Zealand’s current fiscal framework. Contemporary New Zealand fiscal challenges are discussed and, in light of these challenges, the paper concludes with consideration of areas to investigate which may yield improvements to the New Zealand fiscal framework.Fiscal policy, sustainability, stability, structure, taxation, government spending, economic growth

THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRY STRUCTURE ON PRICE: A CASE IN THE BEEF INDUSTRY

This study estimates the influence of concentration and other structural variables on the price of slaughter cattle. Cross-sectional data were used to estimate a single equation model which included, in addition to traditional factor demand variables, packer concentration and a measure of market power exerted by feedlots. Results suggest that packer concentration has had a significant and increasing negative impact on fed cattle prices during the years of analysis, 1972 and 1977.Industrial Organization, Livestock Production/Industries,