3,857 research outputs found
Book Review: Grimwood, M and McHanwell, S. (2024) Evidencing Teaching Achievements in Higher Education. Critical Publishing.
No full textBook Review: Grimwood, M and McHanwell, S. (2024) Evidencing Teaching Achievements in Higher Education. Critical Publishing.
Christopher Little
Manchester Metropolitan University
Corresponding author: [email protected]
A Mixed-Method Approach for Quantifying Illegal Fishing and Its Impact on an Endangered Fish Species
No full textIllegal harvest is recognized as a widespread problem in natural resource management. The use of multiple methods for quantifying illegal harvest has been widely recommended yet infrequently applied. We used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the extent, charac- ter, and motivations of illegal gillnet fishing in Lake Hovsgol National Park, Mongolia and its impact on the lake’s fish populations, especially that of the endangered endemic Hovsgol grayling (Thymallus nigrescens). Surveys for derelict fishing gear indicate that gillnet fishing is widespread and increasing and that fishers generally use 3–4 cm mesh gillnet. Interviews with resident herders and park rangers suggest that many residents fish for subsistence during the spring grayling spawning migration and that some residents fish commercially year-round. Interviewed herders and rangers generally agree that fish population sizes are decreasing but are divided on the causes and solutions. Biological monitoring indicates that the gillnet mesh sizes used by fishers efficiently target Hovsgol grayling. Of the five species sampled in the monitoring program, only burbot (Lota lota) showed a significant decrease in population abundance from 2009–2013. However, grayling, burbot, and roach (Rutilus ruti- lus) all showed significant declines in average body size, suggesting a negative fishing impact. Data-poor stock assessment methods suggest that the fishing effort equivalent to each resident family fishing 50-m of gillnet 11–15 nights per year would be sufficient to over- exploit the grayling population. Results from the derelict fishing gear survey and interviews suggest that this level of effort is not implausible. Overall, we demonstrate the ability for a mixed-method approach to effectively describe an illegal fishery and suggest that these methods be used to assess illegal fishing and its impacts in other protected areas.Peer reviewe
Teacher formative assessment: the missing link in response to intervention
No full textResponse to Intervention (RtI) focuses on the assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring of student academic performance and social behavior. Despite requiring highly-qualified personnel for successful implementation, the implementation of Rtl has not focused on applying its foundational principles towards promoting teacher effectiveness through assessment, intervention, and progress monitoring of teacher classroom practice. Compounding this problem is the lack of availability of reliable and valid teacher assessments to apply in an Rtl model for teacher professional development. This chapter provides a rationale for applying RtI principles to teacher professional development and how teacher formative assessment can improve educator effectiveness, student learning, and social behaviors. The Classroom Strategies Scale (CSS, Reddy & Dudek, 2014), a new multidimensional assessment of instructional and behavioral management practices is discussed as an example of one promising tool for promoting teachers professional development within an Rtl model. We offer a synthesis of the theory, research, and evidence of reliability and validity of the CSS. The application of teacher formative assessment in job-embedded professional development/coaching models for schools is discussed. Finally, implications for practice and research are outlined.Peer reviewe
Oregon Justice Reinvestment Initiative: return on investment
No full textsubmitted to: Oregon Criminal Justice Commission ; principal investigator: Mauri Matsuda, Ph.D. ; co-investigators: Christopher Campbell, Ph.D., Christopher Dollar, M.S., Mark Leymon, Ph.D., Brian Renauer, Ph.D.This archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Includes bibliographical references (pages 38-39).Funded by: Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.Mode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
Pannexin-1 and P2X7-Receptor Are Required for Apoptotic Osteocytes in Fatigued Bone to Trigger RANKL Production in Neighboring Bystander Osteocytes
No full textOsteocyte apoptosis is required to induce intracortical bone remodeling after microdamage in animal models, but how apoptotic osteocytes signal neighboring “bystander” cells to initiate the remodeling process is unknown. Apoptosis has been shown to open pannexin-1 (Panx1) channels to release adenosine diphosphate (ATP) as a “find me” signal for phagocytic cells. To address whether apoptotic osteocytes use this signaling mechanism, we adapted the rat ulnar fatigue-loading model to reproducibly introduce microdamage into mouse cortical bone and measured subsequent changes in osteocyte apoptosis, receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) expression and osteoclastic bone resorption in wild-type (WT; C57Bl/6) mice and in mice genetically deficient in Panx1 (Panx1KO). Mouse ulnar loading produced linear microcracks comparable in number and location to the rat model. WT mice showed increased osteocyte apoptosis and RANKL expression at microdamage sites at 3 days after loading and increased intracortical remodeling and endocortical tunneling at day 14. With fatigue, Panx1KO mice exhibited levels of microdamage and osteocyte apoptosis identical to WT mice. However, they did not upregulate RANKL in bystander osteocytes or initiate resorption. Panx1 interacts with P2X7R in ATP release; thus, we examined P2X7R-deficient mice and WT mice treated with P2X7R antagonist Brilliant Blue G (BBG) to test the possible role of ATP as a find-me signal. P2X7RKO mice failed to upregulate RANKL in osteocytes or induce resorption despite normally elevated osteocyte apoptosis after fatigue loading. Similarly, treatment of fatigued C57Bl/6 mice with BBG mimicked behavior of both Panx1 KO and P2X7RKO mice; BBG had no effect on osteocyte apoptosis in fatigued bone but completely prevented increases in bystander osteocyte RANKL expression and attenuated activation of resorption by more than 50%. These results indicate that activation of Panx1 and P2X7R are required for apoptotic osteocytes in fatigued bone to trigger RANKL production in neighboring bystander osteocytes and implicate ATP as an essential signal mediating this process.Peer reviewe
The protective effect of a diet rich in fish oil in an amphetamine toxicity model of Parkinson’s disease
No full textParkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that damages the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra and their axonal projections to the striatum. This cell death results in significant motor deficits that include muscular rigidity, resting tremor, and akinesia. Although there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease, evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that consumption of fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), may help to reduce the risk of this debilitating disorder. Furthermore, research using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) models of Parkinson’s disease supports this conclusion. Consequently, this dissertation examined the potential protective effect of fish oil in an amphetamine-toxicity model of Parkinson’s disease. In Experiment 1, mice were administered a diet rich in either corn oil or fish oil for one week and then were treated with either amphetamine or saline. After sacrifice 72 hours later, striatal tissue was assayed for neurochemical content using HPLC. It was determined that fish oil protects against amphetamine-induced depletions of dopamine and its metabolites. Given the role of oxidative stress in amphetamine toxicity, this protection may be a result of the antioxidant properties of fish oil. Experiment 2, in addition to successfully replicating this effect, extended the protective effect of fish oil to behavioral and physiological measures. More specifically, a diet rich in fish oil significantly altered amphetamine’s impact on behaviors including oral dyskinesia, self biting, stereotypy, and backwards walking; it also mitigated amphetamine-induced changes in dermal temperature. These results suggest that fish oil can moderate the elevated dopaminergic activity caused by amphetamine administration. Experiment 3 was designed to examine the time course of protection afforded by the fish oil-rich diet, and it was discovered that the protective effect of fish oil develops between 1 and 3 days of consumption. Experiment 4 was performed to determine if fish oil alters amphetamine-induced increases in oxidative stress and dopamine release. Fish oil did not impact these measures, indicating that other mechanisms may be responsible for the observed protection. Collectively, these findings indicate that the consumption of fish oil offers protection against amphetamine toxicity in a model of Parkinson’s disease.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Christopher M. Medveck
Heritability and Linkage Analysis of Appendicitis Utilizing Age at Onset
No full textAppendicitis usually afflicts the young, but there is a large tail in the distribution of onset age. The genetics of this disease are still not well understood. A heritability analysis and genome wide linkage analysis of a large twin dataset was undertaken. Treating age of onset of appendicitis as a censored survival trait revealed a heritability of 0.21, and found evidence of linkage to Chromosome 1p37.3. Author(s): Christopher Oldmeadow 1 * | Kerrie Mengersen 2 | Nicholas Martin 3 | David L. Duffy
Computational design of proteins and protein crystals
No full textProtein design is motivated by the desire to study, understand, and exploit the versatile structures and functions capable with proteins. Nature leverages the physico-chemical properties of the amino acids to arrive at highly functional sequences that spontaneously fold, where structural and functional properties are fine-tuned during the course of evolution. Proteins comprise tens to thousands of amino acids, and backbone and side-chain degrees of freedom result in an immense number of possible configurations for a single sequence. Enumerating these myriad sequences is prohibitively expensive even with modern computational power, thus, protein designers have sought methods and/or approximations to reduce the computational burden. One such approximation is the inverse design\u27\u27 approach. In essence, rather than attempting to design a sequence outright that will fold into a particular structure, the designer specifies a single scaffold structure having the particular fold of interest. A sequence is then designed with the goal of stabilizing that scaffold. Removing the scaffold flexibility is often seen as an overly-stringent constraint, leading protein designers to seek new methodologies that incorporate some scaffold flexibility. Throughout this work we take advantage of both the inverted approach and a unique sequence design methodology to arrive at energy landscapes that provide a birds-eye\u27\u27 view of the relationship between sequence and structure. These landscapes are particularly useful in helping to identify structures that are designable\u27\u27 and thus stand a better chance of being experimentally realized. Central to the approach is the recent increase in computational power, allowing us to design entire ensembles (many thousands) of scaffold structures with closely related geometries providing for many possible sequences that fit our design objectives. This is in marked contrast to other design efforts where only a single structure is identified consistent with a single or handful of scaffold structures, providing for little or no recourse when a design fails in the laboratory. Here, we focus on two types of sequence-structure relationships: (i) that of coiled-coil secondary structure where we take advantage of the Crick parameterization to design ensembles of coiled-coil dimers that reversibly fold in the presence of zinc and (ii) that of protein-protein interfaces and quaternary structures, were we optimize the protein sequence in a periodic crystalline\u27\u27 environment consistent with ensembles of unit cells with varying geometries. The sequence-structure approach has proven to be invaluable; we\u27ve successfully designed the first ever protein crystal and have taken that success to the next level by proposing designs that bind and orient non-biological non-linear optical chromophores in high density arrangements. We\u27ve also designed a coiled-coil dimer that folds reversibly dependent on the presence of coordinating zinc ions and has particular advantages for reversible cell-tethering, fluorescence labeling and nanoparticle assembly
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Introduction
No full textByline: Charles B. Nemeroff, Christopher M. O'Connor Author Affiliation: Atlanta, Ga, and Durham, NC From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC Article Note: (footnote) [star] Reprint requests: Charles B. Nemeroff, MD, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine,1639 Pierce Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322-4990. E-mail: [email protected], [star][star] Am Heart J 2000;140:S55-6.ProfessionalAcademi
"The Federalist" and the classical foundations of the American Republic
No full textThis paper examines the classical themes and ancient historical examples presented through the Federalist Papers of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist Papers represent a lucid sample of early American political theory, and the ideologies of three prominent founders. The study focuses on the Greco-Roman states within those essays that were deemed analogous or relevant to the American Confederacy under the Articles of Confederation, or were used to promote a new federal union under the Constitution. This paper also analyzes the formation of mixed governance constitutions, a vital construction for the creation of modern nations, as the idea progressed through the classical writers Plato, Aristotle, Polybius, and Cicero. Through this analysis, the influences of the Greek and Roman classics are shown to be a formative element in the formation of the American Republic. By reestablishing and reasserting the Classics into the political ideology of that time, insight into the creation of a new Constitution through the combined insight of the Federalist becomes readily apparent. The first section presents an introduction to the Federalist, and the ratification debates of 1787-88. Section two covers the classical influences to American history. The third section is a brief overview of five current works relating to this scholarship. Section four comprises the analysis of the five sections of the Federalist Papers as outlined by Alexander Hamilton. The final section of this paper investigates the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Polybius and Cicero to discover the evolution and creation of theories of mixed constitutions.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Christopher M. Broschar
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