The acceptance of virtual presentations at international conferences on education

International academic conferences represent one manifestation of globalisation. At these conferences, academics come together to exchange ideas and experiences and to make contacts. Education is one of many academic fields on which a wide range of international conferences take place. Unfortunately, many people fly to such conferences, just contributing to climate change and other forms of ecological damage. This article focuses on the use of ICT for virtual presentations at these conferences, one way to enjoy the benefits of global interchange while lessening damage to the environment. Virtual presentations can be defined as presentations where the presenters do not attend the conference in person but instead do their presentations asynchronously or synchronously by electronic means. Thus, via virtual presentations, academics share and interact without travelling to the conference venue. This article has three parts. The first part explains ideas for doing virtual presentations. The second part of the article presents a study of conference organisers’ reactions to virtual presentations at international conferences on education. The third part discusses pros and cons of virtual presentations.Encontros acadêmicos internacionais são uma das manifestações da globalização. Neles os acadêmicos se encontram para trocar ideias e experiências e para estabelecer contatos. A educação é uma das áreas acadêmicas sobre as quais há uma grande quantidade de encontros internacionais. Infelizmente, muitas pessoas voam para esses encontros contribuindo assim para a mudança climática e outras formas de danos ecológicos. Este artigo trata do uso de ICT (information and communication technology) em apresentações virtuais nesses encontros, um modo de usufruir os benefícios das interações globais ao mesmo tempo que em que evita aumentar os danos ao meio ambiente. Apresentações virtuais podem ser definidas como aquelas em que os apresentadores não comparecem pessoalmente, mas, ao contrário, apresentam seu trabalho assincronicamente ou sincronicamente por meios eletrônicos. Assim, fazendo sua apresentação virtualmente, os acadêmicos compartilham ideias e interagem sem viajar para o local do encontro. Este artigo consta de três partes. A primeira faz sugestões para fazer apresentações virtuais. A segunda apresenta um estudo das reações dos organizadores dos encontros a apresentações virtuais em encontros internacionais sobre educação. A terceira discute as vantagens e desvantagens das apresentações virtuais.&nbsp

Expression profile of late responsive genes induced by spatial learning task: involvement of pathways in locomotion and memory

The altered molecular mechanisms by experimental therapies for neurodegenerative diseases itself could be overlapped with genes induced by the behavioral task. We employed the microarray platform to identify the differentially expressed late responsive genes in medial temporal lobes of four Morris Water Maze (MWM) trained and untrained BALB/c mice. After MWM training, the mice were sacrificed to obtain their brains’ medial temporal lobes. The total RNA was extracted from the tissues and global mRNA gene expression analysis was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip ®Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Array. There were 3635 (62.2%) up-regulated genes and 2206 (37.8%) down-regulated genes at p-values of < 0.05. These genes were operationally defined as late memory-related genes and behavior-related genes indicating that behavioral learning has a significant impact on the gene expression of the medial temporal lobes. From the pathway analysis, the network of memory and locomotion genes, and the guanylate cyclase pathway were identified as one of the most interesting pathways. The qPCR validation showed that the genes NMDA receptor 2a (Nmda2a) and cAMP dependent protein kinase type I beta regulatory subunit (Prkar1b) were up-regulated while adenylate cyclase 5 (Adcy5) was down-regulated. We proposed that the involvement of guanylate cyclase pathway in the long-term potentiation lasted at least up to three days after the MWM test. Present study suggested that the molecular mechanisms followed by spatial learning task could be altered up to three days or even longer, it could be overlapped with genes induced by further invented experimental therapy

Isolation and characterization of two cellulose morphology mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC23769 producing cellulose with lower crystallinity.

Gluconacetobacter hansenii, a Gram-negative bacterium, produces and secrets highly crystalline cellulose into growth medium, and has long been used as a model system for studying cellulose synthesis in higher plants. Cellulose synthesis involves the formation of β-1,4 glucan chains via the polymerization of glucose units by a multi-enzyme cellulose synthase complex (CSC). These glucan chains assemble into ordered structures including crystalline microfibrils. AcsA is the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase enzymes in the CSC, and AcsC is required for the secretion of cellulose. However, little is known about other proteins required for the assembly of crystalline cellulose. To address this question, we visually examined cellulose pellicles formed in growth media of 763 individual colonies of G. hansenii generated via Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis, and identified 85 that produced cellulose with altered morphologies. X-ray diffraction analysis of these 85 mutants identified two that produced cellulose with significantly lower crystallinity than wild type. The gene disrupted in one of these two mutants encoded a lysine decarboxylase and that in the other encoded an alanine racemase. Solid-state NMR analysis revealed that cellulose produced by these two mutants contained increased amounts of non-crystalline cellulose and monosaccharides associated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides as compared to the wild type. Monosaccharide analysis detected higher percentages of galactose and mannose in cellulose produced by both mutants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that cellulose produced by the mutants was unevenly distributed, with some regions appearing to contain deposition of non-cellulosic polysaccharides; however, the width of the ribbon was comparable to that of normal cellulose. As both lysine decarboxylase and alanine racemase are required for the integrity of peptidoglycan, we propose a model for the role of peptidoglycan in the assembly of crystalline cellulose

¹³C NMR spectra of cellulose pellicles produced by mutant I-23 (red), mutant #52 (purple), and wild type (black).

<p>(A) Full spectra with carbon-1 to carbon-6 of glucose in crystalline cellulose indicated. (B) The region of the spectra showing the peak area of carbon-4 of glucose in crystalline cellulose (88.9 ppm), indicated by a blue arrow; peak area of carbon-4 of glucose in non-crystalline cellulose (85.0 ppm), indicated by a green arrow; peak areas of 82.0 ppm, indicated by a red arrow, and 83.0 ppm, indicated by a pink arrow, assigned to carbons of monosaccharides in non-cellulosic polysaccharides. (C) The region of the spectra showing the peak areas of 172.8 ppm, indicated by a yellow arrow, and 176.3 ppm peak, indicated by an orange arrow, assigned to ester or acid carboxyl carbons of monosaccharides in non-cellulosic polysaccharides. (D) The region of the spectra showing peaks assigned to methyl groups at ~20 ppm. (E) The region of the spectra showing carbon-1 of monosaccharides in non-cellulosic polysaccharides.</p

XRD diffractograms of cellulose morphology mutants I-23 and #52, their complemented transformants, I-23_CE and #52_CE, and wild type.

<p>For each mutant, complemented transformant and wild type, cellulose pellicles prepared from three biological replicates were used for analysis, and the result of one representative diffractogram is shown.</p

Model for the role of the peptidoglycan framework in cellulose synthesis.

<p>(A) The peptidoglycan framework providing guidance of glucan chains (green line) produced by each cellulose synthase complex located in the inner membrane through the periplasm to a pore, located in the outer membrane and in registry, to form a sub-elementary fiber for extrusion. Several sub-elementary fibers produced from more than one extrusion site aggregate to form a 3.5 nm elementary fibril, and adjacent elementary fibrils co-crystallize to form a 6–7 nm microfibril. (B) Effects of disruption of the peptidoglycan framework on assembly of glucan chains. The glucan chains (green line), synthesized in the inner membrane, may not be in perfect registry with the pore, and lack of guidance may result in some glucan chains not participating in the assembly of a sub-elemental fibril. Thus, the number of glucan chains that reach a pore may be reduced, and the less tightly packed glucan chains in the periplasm may allow non-cellulosic polysaccharides (purple curve line) to be incorporated into the sub-elementary fibril.</p

Immunoblotting analysis of production of LDC:FLAG-tag (A) and AlaR:FLAG-tag (B).

<p>Total protein (40 μg) was loaded in each lane of 12% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, and anti-FLAG was used to detect the proteins produced. Arrows indicate LDC:FLAG-tag (A) and AlaR:FLAG-tag (B). M: markers for molecular masses. WT: wild type control</p

Monosaccharides released from acid-treated cellulose pellicles produced by wild type and two cellulose morphology mutants.

<p>^a Percent total weight</p><p>Monosaccharides released from acid-treated cellulose pellicles produced by wild type and two cellulose morphology mutants.</p

FESEM images of cellulose produced by wild type (A), mutant I-23 (B), mutant #52 mutant (C), complemented I-23 (I-23_CE; D), and complemented #52 (#52_CE; E).

<p>White arrows in <b>(B)</b> and <b>(C)</b> point to a region of cellulose pellicles produced by mutant I-23 and mutant #52 where non-cellulosic polysaccharides may be embedded.</p

Genes disrupted by Tn5 transposon DNA in cellulose morphology mutants.

<p>^a Counting from the translation initiation codon.</p><p>Genes disrupted by Tn5 transposon DNA in cellulose morphology mutants.</p