Examining Pedagogical Partnerships in Liberal Arts Institutions

With increased awareness by higher education institutions to improve teaching and learning for undergraduate students, pedagogical partnerships have been implemented in higher education institutions to assist in this process. Pedagogical partnerships can be defined as a “reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally, although not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision-making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (Cook-Sather, Bovill, & Felton, 2014, pp.6-7). This research synthesis analyzes student-faculty pedagogical partnerships in United States undergraduate college courses by defining pedagogical partnerships, best practices, and challenges associated with pedagogical partnerships. Furthermore, this study developed recommendations for implementing a pedagogical partnership into a liberal arts institution through synthesized research findings and experiences participating as a pedagogical partner at Illinois Wesleyan University

İngilizce Dersi Öğretim Programlarında Kaynaşıklık: Temel Eğitimden Ortaöğretime Sistematik Bir Analiz

Despite many studies on English language curricula over the last two decades in Turkey, any analysis of articulation in the curricula has not been found. Articulation, which addresses the inter-relatedness of a curriculum in many ways, both vertically and horizontally, ensures planning of student's development holistically and the transfer of learning from one education level to another. In this study, basic education and secondary education English language curricula published in 2018 were systematically examined in terms of articulation by looking for an answer to the question "To what extent do the English curricula attain the horizontal and vertical across the school levels?" specifically. Guideline Questions for Determining Articulation which were developed through the literature review and expert opinions, were used in the study adopting a document analysis. The data were analyzed according to descriptive analysis. The findings display that the English language curricula from basic education to secondary education reflect the culture of the target language in a very limited way and that the interdisciplinarity of the curricula is weak. Therefore, it is concluded that the curricula have attained horizontal articulation partially. In terms of vertical articulation, although continuity and sequence across the grades are mostly achieved, the study uncovered the problems about the assessment of four skills in an integrated way, the progress of learning outcomes from lower-to higher-order thinking skills, the coordination of the language proficiency aimed as the final outcome at the school levels as well as the assessment of them. Consequently, the study revealed that both the horizontal and vertical (especially across the school levels) articulation of the curricula are not fully ensured. Various implications have been made to strengthen the articulation of English language curricula.Türkiye’de son 20 yılda İngilizce dersi öğretim programlarına yönelik çok sayıda araştırma yapılsa da programlardaki kaynaşıklığa ilişkin herhangi bir analize rastlanmamıştır. Bir öğretim programının hem dikey hem de yatay olarak birçok yönden birbiriyle ilişkili olma durumunu ifade eden kaynaşıklık, öğrencinin gelişimini bütüncül bir şekilde planlamayı ve öğrenmelerin transferini sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada 2018 yılında yayımlanan temel eğitim ve ortaöğretim İngilizce dersi öğretim programları, kaynaşıklık açısından sistematik olarak incelenmiştir. Özellikle “İngilizce dersi öğretim programları ilkokul, ortaokul ve lise düzeyinde yatay ve dikey kaynaşıklık açısından nasıldır?” sorusuna yanıt aranmıştır. Analizde, alanyazındaki çalışmalardan yararlanılarak oluşturulan ve uzman görüşleriyle geliştirilen Kaynaşıklığı Belirlemeye Yönelik Kılavuz Sorular kullanılmıştır. Doküman analizi türündeki çalışmada, veriler betimsel analize tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular, temel eğitimden ortaöğretime doğru programların hedef dilin kültürünü çok sınırlı bir şekilde yansıttığını, disiplinler arası olma özelliğinin zayıf olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda programların yatay kaynaşıklığa kısmen sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Dikey kaynaşıklık açısından ise, sınıflar arasında süreklilik ve aşamalılık çoğunlukla gerçekleştirilmiş olsa da; bütünleşik dil becerilerinin ölçümünde, kazanımların taksonomik açıdan üst düzey düşünme becerilerine doğru ilerlemesinde, kademeler arası dil yeterliği hedeflerinin birbiriyle uyumunda ve ölçülmesinde eksikler olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda programların hem yatay hem de (özellikle kademeler arası) dikey kaynaşıklığının tam olarak sağlanamadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. İngilizce dersi öğretim programlarının kaynaşıklığını güçlendirmek üzere çeşitli öneriler sunulmuştur

Inhibitory effects of benzimidazole containing new phenolic Mannich bases on human carbonic anhydrase isoforms hCA I and II

New phenolic mono and bis Mannich bases incorporating benzimidazole, such as 2-(aminomethyl)-4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol and 2,6-bis(aminomethyl)-4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol were synthesized starting from 4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol. Amines used for the synthesis included dimethylamine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, N-methylpiperazine and morpholine. The CA inhibitory properties of these compounds were tested on the human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms hCA I and hCA II. These new compounds, as many phenols show moderate CA inhibitory properties

Synthesis and carbonic anhydrase I, II, IV and XII inhibitory properties of N-protected amino acid – sulfonamide conjugates

N-protected amino acids (Gly, Ala and Phe protected with Boc and Z groups) were reacted with sulfonamide derivatives, leading to the corresponding N-protected amino acid-sulfonamide conjugates. The carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory activity of the new compounds was assessed against four human (h) isoforms, hCA I, hCA II, hCA IV and hCA XII. Among them, hCA II, IV and XII are antiglaucoma drug targets, being involved in aqueous humor secretion within the eye. Low nanomolar inhibition was measured against all four isoforms with the 20 reported sulfonamides, but no selective inhibitory profiles, except for some CA XII-selective derivatives, were observed. hCA I, II and XII were generally better inhibited by sulfonamides incorporating longer scaffolds and Gly/Ala, whereas the best hCA IV inhibitors were homosulfanilamide derivatives, incorporating Phe moieties. The amino acid-sulfonamide conjugates show good water solubility and effective hCA II, IV and XII inhibition, and may be considered as interesting candidates for antiglaucoma studies

Synthesis and carbonic anhydrase inhibitory properties of amino acid – coumarin/quinolinone conjugates incorporating glycine, alanine and phenylalanine moieties

N-Protected amino acids (Gly, Ala and Phe) were reacted with amino substituted coumarin and quinolinone derivatives, leading to the corresponding N-protected amino acid-coumarin/quinolinone conjugates. The carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory activity of the new compounds was assessed against various human (h) isoforms, such as hCA I, hCA II, hCA IV and hCA XII. The quinolinone conjugates were inactive as enzyme inhibitors, whereas the coumarins were ineffective hCA I/II inhibitors (KIs > 50 μM) but were submicromolar hCA IV and XII inhibitors, with inhibition constants ranging between 92 nM and 1.19 μM for hCA IV, and between 0.11 and 0.79 μM for hCA XII. These coumarin derivatives, as many others reported earlier, thus show an interesting selective inhibitory profile for the membrane-bound over the cytosolic CA isoforms

Öğretmenlerin Mesleki Gelişimi ve Etkili Öğretim İçin Güncel Bir Model: Öğrenme İmecesi

Çağımızın sorun ve gereksinimlerine cevap verecek nitelikli öğretmen ihtiyacı, iş birliğini ve araştırmacı bakış açısını öne çıkaran model arayışları, son yıllarda ders imecesine yönelik çalışmaları yaygınlaştırmıştır. Ancak ders imecesinin kuramsal temellerinin zayıflığı ve farklı kültürlerde yaşanan uygulama problemleri çeşitli uyarlamalar doğurmuştur. Bu uyarlamalardan biri de İsveç ve Hong-Kong iş birliğinde geliştirilmiş varyasyon kuramı temelli öğrenme imecesidir. Türkiye’de geleneksel hizmet içi eğitim anlayışından uzaklaşılarak; sürekli, iş içinde ve iş birlikli mesleki gelişim anlayışına geçilebilmesi için, son yıllarda dünyada hızla yaygınlaşan öğrenme imecesi modelinin tanınması ve anlaşılması yararlı olabilir. Nitekim öğrenme imecesinin birçok ülkede çeşitli derslerde uygulandığı, bunun sonucunda öğrenci başarısının arttığı, öğretmenlerin üretici ve tasarımcı hale geldiği, yansıtıcı ve yaratıcı düşünme becerilerinin güçlendiği görülmüştür. Türkiye’de öğrenme imecesine yönelik çalışmaların çok sınırlı olması nedeniyle atılacak adımlar dikkatlice planlanmalı ve ithal pedagojilere yönelik uyarılar dikkate alınmalıdır. Bu çalışmada öğrenme imecesi tanıtılarak, Türkiye’de öğrenme imecesi girişimlerinin nasıl başlatılabileceği ve neler yapılabileceğine yönelik makro, mezo ve mikro düzeyde öneriler sunulmuştur

An isolated fistula between the right pulmonary artery and the right pulmonary vein: An unusual cause of stroke in a young female

We describe the case of a 29 year-old female who presented with right sided hemiparesis with global aphasia. She had a history of transient ischemic attack with migraine headaches. Diagnostic workup revealed a right to left cardiac shunt. An isolated right pulmonary artery to left pulmonary vein fistula was diagnosed on pulmonary angiogram. The fistula was occluded successfully by cardiac catheterization. Early recognition and intervention is indicated to prevent further complications. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 1: 73-76

Graphene growth from photo-polymerized bi-phenylthiol self-assembled monolayers

We present an enhanced methodology for the synthesis of graphene, from photo-polymerized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 1,1ʹ-biphenyl-4-thiol on both electropolished and oxidized copper substrates. The SAMs were subjected to a two-step process involving light-induced polymerization followed by annealing in a vacuum furnace to yield the two-dimensional solid. Comprehensive characterization using contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, provided conclusive evidence of growth of single-layer graphene. Notably, our findings revealed superior quality graphene on oxidized copper substrates compared to their electropolished counterparts, highlighting the impact of substrate choice on the quality of the resultant material

Free light chains as an emerging biomarker in saliva::biological variability and comparisons with salivary IgA and steroid hormones

BackgroundSalivary free light chains (FLCs) are an emerging biomarker in health and behavioural research. However, little is known regarding biological variability of salivary FLCs and how they relate to other established salivary biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate the diurnal and day-to-day variation of salivary FLCs and their relationship with salivary IgA and steroid hormones.MethodsA total of 46 healthy adults participated in studies exploring the biological variability of FLCs. Diurnal variation was investigated by collecting saliva samples immediately upon waking, 0.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 14 h post-waking. Saliva samples were assessed for FLCs, IgA, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Between-day variation in FLCs and IgA was assessed by collecting saliva samples immediately upon waking for seven consecutive days. Participants underwent a dental examination to exclude oral health as a potential confounding variable. Within and between-person day-to day variation was explored in relation to a range of different factors: awakening time, sleep, exercise, well-being and alcohol consumption.ResultsSalivary secretion rates of FLCs decreased following waking and up to 3 h post-waking and then plateaued. This same pattern was observed for IgA. DHEA was stable upon waking and higher levels were seen in the morning with significantly lower levels thereafter. Cortisol levels significantly increased 0.5 h post-waking then continued to decline across the day. FLCs were significantly correlated with IgA but not cortisol or DHEA. Both FLCs and IgA parameters showed day-to-day variability, with coefficients of variation ≥ 40%. Earlier waking time was significantly correlated with higher FLC and IgA secretion rates. Inter-person differences in saliva parameter variability were observed but the degree of variation in FLCs and IgA was related within person. Inter-person day-to-day variation appeared to be uninfluenced by lifestyle or behavioural factors.ConclusionsSaliva FLCs secretion exhibits diurnal fluctuation that mirrors IgA fluctuation. Findings strongly indicate salivary FLC secretion is orchestrated by local plasma cells. FLCs and IgA both showed notable variability day-to-day, which was similar within person and influenced by awakening time. FLCs offer a promising adjunct to IgA in the measurement of oral immune activation

Cyclic di-GMP-dependent Signaling Pathways in the Pathogenic Firmicute Listeria Monocytogenes

We characterized key components and major targets of the c-di-GMP signaling pathways in the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, identified a new c-di-GMP-inducible exopolysaccharide responsible for motility inhibition, cell aggregation, and enhanced tolerance to disinfectants and desiccation, and provided first insights into the role of c-di-GMP signaling in listerial virulence. Genome-wide genetic and biochemical analyses of c-di-GMP signaling pathways revealed that L. monocytogenes has three GGDEF domain proteins, DgcA (Lmo1911), DgcB (Lmo1912) and DgcC (Lmo2174), that possess diguanylate cyclase activity, and three EAL domain proteins, PdeB (Lmo0131), PdeC (Lmo1914) and PdeD (Lmo0111), that possess c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase activity. Deletion of all phosphodiesterase genes (ΔpdeB/C/D) or expression of a heterologous diguanylate cyclase stimulated production of a previously unknown exopolysaccharide. The synthesis of this exopolysaccharide was attributed to the pssA-E (lmo0527-0531) gene cluster. The last gene of the cluster encodes the fourth listerial GGDEF domain protein, PssE, that functions as an I-site c-di-GMP receptor essential for exopolysaccharide synthesis. The c-di-GMP-inducible exopolysaccharide causes cell aggregation in minimal medium and impairs bacterial migration in semi-solid agar, however, it does not promote biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. The exopolysaccharide also greatly enhances bacterial tolerance to commonly used disinfectants as well as desiccation, which may contribute to survival of L. monocytogenes on contaminated food products and in food-processing facilities. The exopolysaccharide and another, as yet unknown c-di-GMP-dependent target, drastically decrease listerial invasiveness in enterocytes in vitro, and lower pathogen load in the liver and gallbladder of mice infected via an oral route, which suggests that elevated c-di-GMP levels play an overall negative role in listerial virulence