Discussions Across Borders: A German-American Partnership

This article reports on our experiences in a German-American partnership in internationalizing the curriculum. In a globalized world, engaging other cultures and identities as well as understanding global issues and events from other perspectives are important qualifications that allow students to gain different insights in political science. Yet, not all students have the opportunity to study abroad to achieve these goals. Today\u27s technology, however, offers effective methods and techniques for internationalizing the curriculum and requiring students to think beyond their own national borders. Our discussions across borders show how communication technology can be utilized to create opportunities for international exchanges with students at a university in another country. Beginning in 2008, students at the University of North Florida and University of Muenster engaged in joint online discussions on international issues. Based upon the achievement of educational objectives, we consider these online discussions an effective way to increase student awareness of other cultures and perspectives as well as substantive course content. As such discussions could be replicated at other institutions, this article presents the educational objectives for, design and process of, assessment of, and challenges in carrying out discussions across borders. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher\u27s online edition of the Journal of Political Science Education for the following free supplemental resource: Appendix 1. This appendix contains an example of a student feedback form.]. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

MHC class II antigen presentation by the intestinal epithelium initiates graft-versus-host disease and is influenced by the microbiota

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the principal determinant of lethality following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Here, we examined the mechanisms that initiate GVHD, including the relevant antigen-presenting cells. MHC class II was expressed on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) within the ileum at steady state but was absent from the IECs of germ-free mice. IEC-specific deletion of MHC class II prevented the initiation of lethal GVHD in the GI tract. MHC class II expression on IECs was absent from mice deficient in the TLR adaptors MyD88 and TRIF and required IFNγ secretion by lamina propria lymphocytes. IFNγ responses are characteristically driven by IL-12 secretion from myeloid cells. Antibiotic-mediated depletion of the microbiota inhibited IL-12/23p40 production by ileal macrophages. IL-12/23p40 neutralization prevented MHC class II upregulation on IECs and initiation of lethal GVHD in the GI tract. Thus, MHC class II expression by IECs in the ileum initiates lethal GVHD, and blockade of IL-12/23p40 may represent a readily translatable therapeutic strategy