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'why teachers’ beliefs and values are important in p4c research: a victorian perspective
No full textThis paper argues that there is a gap in current research in Philosophy for Children (P4C) that focusses on teachers' perspectives, and particularly in relation to their beliefs and values. This paper will look briefly at what P4C is and its current status in the sphere of education broadly, including empirical studies identifying specific and measurable benefits for the inclusion of P4C in schools. This paper will then discuss recent systemic educational reforms in the State of Victoria in Australia that build towards the inclusions of P4C within Victorian government schools. It will then move on to exploring how teachers' perspectives, through analyses of their beliefs and values, adds significant value in education by comparing similar studies in other areas of education that have used research on the beliefs and values of teachers to inform their practice and policy implementations. This paper also explores the importance of teachers' beliefs and values specifically in the context of P4C, identifying the contribution that an analysis of teacher beliefs and values can make. It then concludes by analysing some recent P4C research which has begun to explore teachers' perspectives, before finishing with future research directions that build on these previous studies which will lay important groundwork for extending the reach of P4C into education systems
Is Bigger More Efficient? An Empirical Analysis of Scale Economies in Administration in South Australian Local Government
No full textA vast empirical literature has investigated economies of scale in municipal operations, especially in water and wastewater provision as well as domestic waste management. By contrast, comparatively few studies have been conducted on the extent of scale economies in local government administration. Given the stress placed on scale economies in Australian state and territory government policies aimed at the structural reform of local government through municipal mergers, including in South Australian (SA) local government, the absence of empirical research into administrative scale economies is unfortunate. To address this gap in the empirical literature, in this paper, we consider administrative scale economies in the SA local government system using four-year panel data from 2015–2016 to 2018–2019. We find limited evidence for a relationship between administrative intensity and municipal by population size and for a difference between the administrative intensity of urban and rural councils
Land Use/Land Cover Classification of the Natural Environment
No full textLand use/land cover (LULC) information is one of the most important spatial input for environmental modelling and a crucial indicator to identify and quantify natural and socioeconomic impacts triggered by LULC changes. Such impacts are related to glacier, snow cover, and permafrost melting, the forming of GLOFs, erosion by land sides, discharge and sediment transport dynamics of alpine rivers, and the socioeconomic regional urban and rural development to name some of them
Genetic correlations between mature body condition, weight, and hip height and early fat-depth traits in Australian Angus cattle
No full textThe objective of this study was to estimate genetic correlations between mature cow traits: body condition (MBC), weight (MCW), hip height (MCH), and live animal ultrasound scan and carcass fat depth traits: P8 fat (P8) and rib fat (RIB) in Australian Angus cattle. Genetic parameters were estimated using univariate animal models, and up to four records per cow were used in the analyses for MBC, MCW, and MCH. The heritability estimates for MBC, MCW, and MCH were 0.21 ± 0.01, 0.43 ± 0.01, and 0.55 ± 0.03, respectively. The strongest genetic correlation was observed between the MBC and MCW (0.87 ± 0.01), followed by MCW and MCH (0.83 ± 0.01). Moderate genetic correlations were observed between MBC and ultrasound scan P8 fat (0.35 ± 0.03) and rib fat (0.31 ± 0.03) traits measured on heifers and steers. Genetic correlations between MBC and carcass P8 fat (0.19 ± 0.08) and rib fat (0.30 ± 0.15) were low to moderate. Progress from selection for MBC based on live animal ultrasound scan and carcass fat depth traits measured on young cattle would be slow due to low genetic correlations. Since MBC is adequately heritable, this trait could be used as a direct measure to improve cow condition through selection
Identification of Novel Cathepsin B Inhibitors with Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease: Computational Refining and Biochemical Evaluation
No full textAmyloid precursor protein (APP), upon proteolytic degradation, forms aggregates of amyloid β (Aβ) and plaques in the brain, which are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cathepsin B is a cysteine protease enzyme that catalyzes the proteolytic degradation of APP in the brain. Thus, cathepsin B inhibition is a crucial therapeutic aspect for the discovery of new anti-Alzheimer’s drugs. In this study, we have employed mixed-feature ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) by integrating pharmacophore mapping, docking, and molecular dynamics to detect small, potent molecules that act as cathepsin B inhibitors. The LBVS model was generated by using hydrophobic (HY), hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and hydrogen bond donor (HBD) features, using a dataset of 24 known cathepsin B inhibitors of both natural and synthetic origins. A validated eight-feature pharmacophore hypothesis (Hypo III) was utilized to screen the Maybridge chemical database. The docking score, MM-PBSA, and MM-GBSA methodology was applied to prioritize the lead compounds as virtual screening hits. These compounds share a common amide scaffold, and showed important interactions with Gln23, Cys29, His110, His111, Glu122, His199, and Trp221. The identified inhibitors were further evaluated for cathepsin-B-inhibitory activity. Our study suggests that pyridine, acetamide, and benzohydrazide compounds could be used as a starting point for the development of novel therapeutics
Epistolary Networks: Elite Women as Cultural Agents in Early Sixteenth-Century Italy
No full textThis article examines the role of elite women’s networks in the early dissemination of the Spanish chivalric romances Tirant lo Blanc (1490) and Amadís de Gaula (1508) across the Italian peninsula in the early sixteenth century. My analysis is underpinned by Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the cultural field and particularly his acknowledgement that cultural agents are guided by their appreciation for cultural artefacts, as well as by their collaborative but competitive endeavours to obtain them. Through analysis of epistolary correspondence between Isabella d’Este, Antonia del Balzo and their cultural mediators, it demonstrates how elite women wielded significant cultural agency through literary patronage and strategic networking and helped shape the development of the chivalric genre in Italy. This study advocates for a networked approach to literary studies that moves beyond nation-based frameworks to view literary texts as multilayered products of dynamic transnational exchanges
Indicators of functional integrity in production animals
No full textAn ability to describe the quality of lived experience across the course of an animal’s life is of increasing interest in studies on wellbeing in farm animals. Integrity of physical functions is an important aspect of the tripartite model of wellbeing: feeling, functioning and interacting well. This review examines measures of functional integrity as potential indicators of functional (eudaimonic) wellbeing. Copious literature shows that coping with day-to-day fluctuations in the environment influences (1) periodicity of biorhythms, (2) allocation of resources to growth, defence and repair, and (3) rate of biological aging. Here we review opportunities for assessing functional integrity through analysis of (1) the dynamic status of physiological and behavioural variables, (2) the accretion of resources in production tissues (milk, eggs, body mass, offspring) and physical structures (fibre, hoof, bone, tooth, placoid scale, otolith, beak), and (3) biological age. A reduction in periodicity of biorhythms, complexity of behaviours, or uniformity of trajectories of growth and production is often associated with poorer current and future health outcomes and shorter functional longevity. These analytical approaches are grounded in statistical measures of stability in complex dynamic systems. Additionally, the cumulative effect of wear and tear on biological age can be assessed via telomere length, DNA methylation, biomarkers of allostatic load, hair cortisol, and physiological functional capacity. Time series of behaviour, physiology and accretion provide a richer record of functional integrity than do cumulative indicators of biological age. Indicators of integrity are needed for each phase of the animal’s life course including attainment of developmental competencies, stability of mature performance, and rate of decline with advancing age, to provide a comprehensive record across the whole of the animal’s life. The utility of measures may differ between real-time and retrospective assessments and between application to every individual versus sentinels. Further validation is required for interpretating measures of functional integrity as indicators of the functional aspect of wellbeing, together with determining their practicality and reliability before translation to commercial settings is feasible. A single type of indicator of functional wellbeing (e.g. DNA methylation) is unlikely to have utility for all life stages, species, production systems, and environments
A study on the implementation challenges of the Jahai Jeli project to promote educational equity in the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia
No full textThis paper reports on the implementation challenges of an innovative 3-year pilot educational program called the Jahai Jeli, run concurrently with the Trust School provider program in the small community of Jeli in the northern state of Kelantan, Malaysia. The Jahai Jeli pilot was specifically intended to provide a change model for the Malaysian Indigenous people who lived in Jahai, the Orang Asli (OA), to meet their unique cultural needs, enable their children to engage in successful learning, and provide them with a sense of belonging as a native Jahai. Future recommendations include the development of targeted leadership to build capacity across mainstream and OA communities; increased partnerships with community to engage all stakeholders to support a greater understanding of the challenges and issues facing OA education; and prioritizing the role of community elder and teacher-mentors in schools to support the implementation of a relevant, culturally responsive curriculum and transition pathways
Effects of Water Quality on the Health and Behaviour of Australian Freshwater Turtles
No full textFreshwater turtles by nature require a freshwater aquatic habitat to survive and thrive. While many species can thrive in a variety of conditions (Roe, Rees and Georges, 2011; Ferronato, Roe and Georges, 2016), there are some that can only tolerate small variations in their natural environment (Clark, Gordos and Franklin, 2009; Chessman, 2015). In addition, the condition of the freshwater habitats that these turtles inhabit is changing rapidly due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, and many freshwater bodies in Australia are subject to extreme salinistion, eutrophication, and the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) (Hallegraeff, 1992; Nielsen et al., 2003; Li et al., 2017). The aims of my thesis are to highlight the areas in which the relationship between freshwater turtles and their environment is most understudied, determine the extent to which certain Australian freshwater turtles show preferences for various habitat conditions, and investigate the tolerance of freshwater turtles to HABs. In chapter one, I conducted an extensive literature review in which I compiled metadata on over 1,000 papers that studied the relationship between freshwater turtles and various aspects of their aquatic habitat. These aspects included HABs, natural variables like salinity and turbidity, and anthropogenic variables like chemical pollution. I also analysed the collected literature for which species were most studied, and in which country. The most common species by far that appeared in the literature was the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta. Species considered Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN were overrepresented in the literature compared to the actual proportion classified as LC out of all recognized freshwater turtle species. In terms of relationships, there is a plethora of knowledge on how turtles are affected by salinity and PCBs, but comparatively little on many other natural and anthropogenic topics such as pH, turbidity, coal/oil spills, and sewage effluence. There is also almost no information on whether freshwater turtles are negatively impacted by HABs; this is a significant problem as HABs are increasing in frequency and duration and have long been associated with mass mortalities in many other taxa (Landsberg, 2002; Sellner, Doucette and Kirkpatrick, 2003). In the chapter 2 I performed an experiment to determine which aquatic variables the eastern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) prefers and which it avoids. I quantified the time spent in varying concentrations of five abiotic variables: dissolved oxygen, fertilizer, pH, salinity, and turbidity. Individual turtles were placed in enclosures containing four tubs with variations of each variable (three experimental tubs and one control tub), and they were monitored for 2 days via time-lapse camera. Afterwards, the turtles were rotated to a new variable, so that a total of 10 turtles were exposed to all five variables. Chelodina longicollis strongly preferred the freshwater control treatment over treatments with high salinity. They also slightly preferred freshwater over lower dissolved oxygen, lower turbidity, and lower fertilizer treatments, and preferred the lowest pH treatment I trialled. These results demonstrate the high behavioural plasticity of some turtle species, while the method of determining which variables are of most import to a species’ habitat quality can be applied to other, more endangered turtles (Dahl, Banner and Vatnick, 2024). In chapter 3 I collected samples of two species of turtle, C. longicollis and the Murray River turtle (Emydura macquarii) living in public dams with and without HABs. In addition to morphometric data, blood samples were taken from each turtle captured, for a total of 60 turtles (30 HAB-exposed and 30 control). Blood smear slides were prepared from the samples, and remainder of each whole blood sample was sent to a veterinary clinic to test for liver enzyme concentrations. The slides were examined under a microscope for the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H:L), which is a commonly used marker for physiological stress due to prolonged changes in the environment. In addition, exposure to HABs is known to cause liver damage in many other animals and humans, so turtles experiencing liver damage as a result of the HABs would have elevated liver enzymes. However, sampled turtles in HAB sites did not show any significant signs of liver damage or physiological stress; this indicates that turtles may have a much greater tolerance to HAB toxins than other taxa. This may be due to a higher physiological tolerance or ability to quickly excrete HAB toxins (Cocilova et al., 2017), or behavioural changes such as reductions in eating or drinking to avoid the highest concentrations of toxins, as has been noted for turtles exposed to extremely high salinities (Dunson, 1979; Davenport and Macedo, 1990; Bower et al., 2016; Agha et al., 2019)
Signalling pathways and cell death mechanisms in glaucoma: Insights into the molecular pathophysiology
No full textGlaucoma is a complex multifactorial eye disease manifesting in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and optic nerve degeneration, ultimately causing irreversible vision loss. Research in recent years has significantly enhanced our understanding of RGC degenerative mechanisms in glaucoma. It is evident that high intraocular pressure (IOP) is not the only contributing factor to glaucoma pathogenesis. The equilibrium of pro-survival and pro-death signalling pathways in the retina strongly influences the function and survival of RGCs and optic nerve axons in glaucoma. Molecular evidence from human retinal tissue analysis and a range of experimental models of glaucoma have significantly contributed to unravelling these mechanisms. Accumulating evidence reveals a wide range of molecular signalling pathways that can operate -either alone or via intricate networks - to induce neurodegeneration. The roles of several molecules, including neurotrophins, interplay of intracellular kinases and phosphates, caveolae and adapter proteins, serine proteases and their inhibitors, nuclear receptors, amyloid beta and tau, and how their dysfunction affects retinal neurons are discussed in this review. We further underscore how anatomical alterations in various animal models exhibiting RGC degeneration and susceptibility to glaucoma-related neuronal damage have helped to characterise molecular mechanisms in glaucoma. In addition, we also present different regulated cell death pathways that play a critical role in RGC degeneration in glaucoma