Development Of Forms Research Articles

Splintering Skylines in a Fractured City: High-Rise Geographies in Jerusalem

This paper examines the production of contested and mundane spaces in Jerusalem. So far, scholarship has focused primarily on the turbulent ethnonational relations in Jerusalem, while paying less attention to struggles over issues of growth and development that do not touch directly upon Israeli—Palestinian controversies. In this paper we consider late entrants to the Jerusalem scene, tall buildings, to investigate how planning policies and practices have shaped some contested and mundane spaces in the city. Through the examination of planning documents and in-depth interviews, we outline the high-rise geographies of ‘Three Jerusalems’: the Old City, Israeli Jerusalem, and Arab Jerusalem. In each of these cities diverse planning approaches, values, and motivations contribute to the transforming cityscape. The Old City remains a protected space of immense significance in the long-lasting visual image of a Holy City. In Israeli Jerusalem, exceptional tall buildings have become more acceptable, as entrepreneurialism gains power; in Arab Jerusalem, enduring exclusion and discrimination against the Palestinian population makes taller buildings possible, provided that they are built within the informal development path. Overall, high-rise geographies demonstrate the different dimensions of Jerusalem relating to ethnonational rifts, capitalistic ambitions, and to formal and informal processes of reproduction and transformation.

Genome-wide dissection of the quorum sensing signalling pathway in Trypanosoma brucei

The protozoan parasites Trypanosoma brucei spp. cause important human and livestock diseases in sub Saharan Africa. In the mammalian blood, two developmental forms of the parasite exist: proliferative ‘slender’ forms and arrested ‘stumpy’ forms that are responsible for transmission to tsetse flies. The slender to stumpy differentiation is a density-dependent response that resembles quorum sensing (QS) in microbial systems and is crucial for the parasite life cycle, ensuring both infection chronicity and disease transmission1. This response is triggered by an elusive ‘stumpy induction factor’ (SIF) whose intracellular signaling pathway is also uncharacterized. Laboratory-adapted (monomorphic) trypanosome strains respond inefficiently to SIF but can generate forms with stumpy characteristics when exposed to cell permeable cAMP and AMP analogues. Exploiting this, we have used a genome-wide RNAi library screen to identify the signaling components driving stumpy formation. In separate screens, monomorphic parasites were exposed to 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP (pCPTcAMP) or 8-pCPT-2′-O-Me-5′-AMP to select cells that were unresponsive to these signals and hence remained proliferative. Genome-wide ion torrent-based RNA interference Target sequencing identified cohorts of genes implicated in each step of the signaling pathway, from purine metabolism, through signal transducers (kinases, phosphatases) to gene expression regulators. Genes at each step were independently validated in cells naturally capable of stumpy formation, confirming their role in density sensing in vivo, whilst the putative RNA-binding protein, RBP7, was required for normal QS and promoted cell-cycle arrest and transmission competence when overexpressed. This study reveals that QS signaling in trypanosomes shares similarities to fundamental quiescence pathways in eukaryotic cells, its components providing targets for QS-interference based therapeutics.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives as Promising Agents for the Management of Chagas Disease

Today, there are approximately 8 million cases of Chagas disease in the southern cone of South America alone, and about 100 million people are living with the risk of becoming infected. The present pharmacotherapy is sometimes ineffective and has serious side effects. Here, we report a series of 4,5-dihydroisoxazoles incorporating hydroxamate moieties, which act as effective inhibitors of the carbonic anhydrase (CA) from Trypanosoma cruzi (TcCA). One compound (5g) was evaluated in detail and shows promising features as an antitrypanosomal agent. Excellent values for the inhibition of growth for all three developmental forms of the parasite were observed at low concentrations of 5g (IC50 values from 7.0 to <1 μM). The compound has a selectivity index (SI) of 6.7 and no cytotoxicity to macrophage cells. Preliminary in vivo data showed that 5g reduces bloodstream parasites and that all treated mice survived; it was also more effective than the standard drug benznidazole.

Comfort and Content: Considerations for Informal Science Professional Development

This study looked at a life science course that was offered at and taught by education staff of a large informal science institution (ISI) located in the Midwest. The curriculum, materials, and agendas for the course were developed by education staff and complemented a permanent life science exhibition. The researcher developed a content test based on the course instructional objectives and lessons provided by education staff. In addition, all participating elementary and middle school teachers (n = 62) were asked to complete an evaluation at the end of each day's session. This included several questions that required participants to reflect upon the content presented throughout the course of the day, focusing on their satisfaction and effectiveness of instruction. Overall, teacher responses on the daily and final evaluations for both courses were extremely positive. However, after participating in the ISI course, teachers’ gains in science content knowledge were not as strong as they had perceived. The findings described here can assist developers of informal science professional development for elementary and middle school teachers that desire to incorporate inquiry, pedagogy, and science content into their teacher learning experiences.

MODELING PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN GROWTH TRAJECTORIES: A STATISTICAL FRAMEWORK

Phenotypic plasticity, that is multiple phenotypes produced by a single genotype in response to environmental change, has been thought to play an important role in evolution and speciation. Historically, knowledge about phenotypic plasticity has resulted from the analysis of static traits measured at a single time point. New insight into the adaptive nature of plasticity can be gained by an understanding of how organisms alter their developmental processes in a range of environments. Recent advances in statistical modeling of functional data and developmental genetics allow us to construct a dynamic framework of plastic response in developmental form and pattern. Under this framework, development, genetics, and evolution can be synthesized through statistical bridges to better address how evolution results from phenotypic variation in the process of development via genetic alterations.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Africa’s diplomatic capital

As the national capital, Addis Ababa remains the economic, political and administrative hub of Ethiopia. In the last 50years, the city has gained international significance as the headquarter of the African Union (AU), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) and a regional office for a number of international organizations including UNDP, UNESCO and the European Economic Commission (EEC). However, like many cities in the developing world, Addis Ababa is facing a number of problems related to population growth, lack of economic opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, shortage of housing, and large areas of informal development with major environmental problems. This profile identifies some of the strategic planning elements that the city could adopt as Addis Ababa strives to develop into a premier metropolitan area for a sustainable community and a diplomatic capital.

Policies for formalization of informal development: Recent experience from southeastern Europe

This paper presents the updated findings of a series of research studies conducted within the last seven years by the author on the problem of current informal development in five southeastern European countries with varying political and cultural backgrounds: Montenegro, Albania, Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, Greece and Cyprus. The paper briefly reviews the main complexities and the variables associated with the issue in an effort to identify how these economies currently respond to informality in terms of regulations, priorities, and legislative and political approaches. It briefly investigates the causes, extent and impact of the problem and it analyses the adopted formalization policies with a purpose to identify good practices and remaining weaknesses.

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has developmental and adult forms in mice, with the male bias in the developmental form being dependent on testicular AMH

Canonically, the sexual dimorphism in the brain develops perinatally, with adult sexuality emerging due to the activating effects of pubescent sexual hormones. This concept does not readily explain why children have a gender identity and exhibit sex-stereotypic behaviours. These phenomena could be explained if some aspects of the sexual brain networks have childhood forms, which are transformed at puberty to generate adult sexuality. The bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) is a dimorphic nucleus that is sex-reversed in transsexuals but not homosexuals. We report here that the principal nucleus of the BNST (BNSTp) of mice has developmental and adult forms that are differentially regulated. In 20-day-old prepubescent mice, the male bias in the principal nucleus of the BNST (BNSTp) was moderate (360±6 vs 288±12 calbindin+ve neurons, p<0.0001), and absent in mice that lacked a gonadal hormone, AMH. After 20days, the number of BNSTp neurons increased in the male mice by 25% (p<0.0001) and decreased in female mice by 15% (p=0.0012), independent of AMH. Adult male AMH-deficient mice had a normal preference for sniffing female pheromones (soiled bedding), but exhibited a relative disinterest in both male and female pheromones. This suggests that male mice require AMH to undergo normal social development. The reported observations provide a rationale for examining AMH levels in children with gender identity disorders and disorders of socialization that involve a male bias.

Research on the Developmental Situation to Software Development Method

Developmental situation of the software development method in the past was studied. In the past developmental form main contain these: from only considering programming to fully considering total developing process; from the linear development method to iterative development method; from rough qualitative analysis to tight and precise quantitative analysis; from developmental mode of lower efficiency to developmental mode of high efficiency; from the developmental process of walking the chalk to flexible developmental process. Some regularity in the development of software development method are pointed out: new way of thinking can propel the development of software development methods; the change of condition of the goal software can propel the development of software development methods; new developmental tools can propel the development of software development methods; new developmental field can propel the development of software development methods. The efficient path to propel the development of software development method is presented: the development of software development methods is propelled by inheritance the past knowledge of software development, the development of software development methods is propelled by learning and absorbing knowledge of other domain, the development of software development methods is propelled by innovating.

Evolution of infection in mice inoculated by the oral route with different developmental forms of Trypanosoma cruzi I and II

Oral infection has become the most important transmission mechanism of Chagas disease in Brazil. For this study, the development of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice, induced by the oral and intraperitoneal (IP) routes, was compared. Four groups of Swiss mice were used to evaluate the influence of parasite genetics, number of parasites, inoculation volume and developmental stages on the development of the orally induced infection: 1 – blood trypomastigotes (BT) via oral; 2 – BT via IP; 3 – culture metacyclic trypomastigotes (MT) via oral; and 4 – culture MT via IP. Animals inoculated orally showed levels of parasitemia, as well as infectivity and mortality rates, lower than animals inoculated via IP, regardless of DTU (discrete typing unit) and inoculum. Animals infected with TcII showed higher levels of these parameters than did animals infected with TcI. The larger volume of inoculum showed a greater capacity to cause an infection when administered via the oral route. BT infection was more virulent than culture MT infection for both routes (oral and IP). However, mice inoculated orally with BT showed lower levels than via IP, while mice inoculated orally with culture MT showed similar levels of infection to those inoculated via IP. Mice inoculated with culture MT showed more histopathological changes than those inoculated with BT, regardless of the inoculation route. These results indicate that this alternative experimental model is useful for evaluating infection by T. cruzi isolates with subpatent parasitemia and low virulence, such as those belonging to the TcI and TcIV DTUs, which are prevalent in outbreaks of orally transmitted Chagas disease.

Stationary phase and mature infectious forms of Legionella pneumophila produce distinct viable but non‐culturable cells

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterial parasite of freshwater protozoa and an accidental waterborne human pathogen. L. pneumophila is highly pleomorphic showing several forms that differentiate within its developmental cycle. In water, L. pneumophila produces viable but non-culturable cells (VBNCCs), which remain largely uncharacterized. We produced VBNCCs from two developmental forms of L. pneumophila [stationary phase forms (SPFs) and mature infectious forms (MIFs)] in two water microcosms [double-deionized (dd) and tap water] at 45°C. In contrast with SPFs, MIFs upheld a robust ultrastructure and high viability in the two water microcosms. In dd-water, MIFs and SPFs lost their culturability faster than in tap water and did not consume their poly-β-hydroxybutyrate inclusions. Resuscitation in Acanthamoeba castellani was only possible for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in tap water. Addition of salts to dd-water prolonged L. pneumophila culturability to tap water levels, suggesting that L. pneumophila requires ions to maintain its readiness to resume growth. VBNCCs resisted detergent lysis and digestion in the ciliate Tetrahymena, except for VBNCCs produced from SPFs in dd-water. L. pneumophila VBNCCs thus show distinct traits according to its originating developmental form and the surrounding water microcosm.

Clinical Significance of a Proposed Developmental Trauma Disorder Diagnosis

Maltreatment, family violence, and disruption in primary caregiver attachment in childhood may constitute a developmental form of trauma that places children at risk for multiple psychiatric and medical diagnoses that often are refractory to well-established evidence-based mental health treatments. No integrative diagnosis exists to guide assessment and treatment for these children and adolescents. This study therefore assessed clinicians' ratings of the clinical utility of a proposed developmental trauma disorder diagnostic framework. An Internet survey was conducted with an international convenience sample of 472 self-selected medical, mental health, counseling, child welfare, and education professionals. Respondents made quantitative ratings of the clinical significance of developmental trauma disorder, developmental trauma exposure, and symptom items and also posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other Axis I internalizing and externalizing disorder symptom items for 4 clinical vignettes. Ratings of the discriminability of each developmental trauma disorder item from PTSD, other anxiety disorders, affective disorders, and externalizing behavior disorders, and of each developmental trauma disorder item's amenability to existing evidence-based treatments for those disorders, also were obtained. Respondents viewed developmental trauma disorder criteria as (1) comparable in clinical utility to criteria for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders; (2) discriminable from and not fully accounted for by other disorders; and (3) refractory to existing evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments. The exposure and symptom criteria proposed for a developmental trauma disorder diagnosis warrant clinical dissemination and scientific field testing to determine their actual clinical utility in treating traumatized children with complex psychiatric presentations.

Psychotropic medication use in adolescents with intellectual disability living in the community

Information on the use of psychotropic medications in adolescents with intellectual disability is scant. Such information can guide interventions to improve psychotropic medication use in this population. We investigated the prevalence of, and factors associated with, psychotropic medication use in adolescents with intellectual disability in Australia who live in the community. Cross-sectional data were obtained from adolescents with intellectual disability living in the community in South East Queensland, Australia, between February 2007 and September 2010. Self-reported information on medication use was extracted from a health screening tool. Demographic and medical data were collected through parent/caregiver surveys. Medications were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system. Psychopathology was assessed using the Developmental Behaviour Checklist Short Form. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of demographic and medical characteristics with psychotropic medication use. There were 176 participants (median age = 16 years, range = 11-19 years; 55% male). Psychotropics were used by 20% of participants. Psychostimulants were the commonest psychotropic class, used by 9% of participants. Multipsychotropic prescribing was not common with only seven participants using more than one psychotropic agent. After adjusting for potentially confounding variables, use of psychotropic medications was significantly associated with male gender (adjusted odds ratio = 3.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.3-9.5) and having major behaviour problems (3.1; 1.1-8.9). Adolescents with intellectual disability use a wide range of psychotropic medications. Being male and having major behaviour problems are associated with the use of psychotropic medications. Research examining the rationale for psychotropic prescribing in this population is needed.

Professional development and the university casual academic: integration and support strategies for distance education

Professional development is imperative for the currency and relevancy of a proficient teaching workforce in distance education, and in turn, the quality of programs being delivered. As participation in distance education within Australian universities is growing, with increasing numbers of academics being required to teach, casual employment of academic staff is often undertaken. As a consequence, casual academics now undertake significant amounts of university teaching loads. In addition, although employed on a casual basis, casual academics often have ongoing relationships with the university, spanning more than one teaching period and in some cases, even years. Professional development is crucial to ensure the replenishment and vivacity of the university, its academics and students. Consequently, the goal of this constructivist grounded theoretical study was to explore the experiences of casual distance education academics, from which professional development emerged as a key theme. Twelve casual academics from a regional university discussed their work experiences through an in-depth semistructured interview. The findings revealed that distance education casual academics accessed a range of formal and informal professional development opportunities. Informal professional development included mentoring, which casual academics highly valued. Formal professional development activities provided by the university were also noted; however, casual academics were sometimes unaware that these existed. Finally, recommendations regarding successful professional development programs for casual academics are given, with particular emphasis on an Early Career Education Research group that operates at the university and is open to all staff.

Characterization of the phytochelatin synthase from the human parasitic nematode Ancylostoma ceylanicum

Hookworm disease is a debilitating worm infection that affects hundreds of millions of people. Despite the existence of anthelmintic drugs, reports have testified of a decrease in efficacy of these drugs. Therefore, it is imperative to find new drugs and drug targets for hookworm disease treatment. In this study we identify the gene encoding the phytochelatin synthase in the human hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum (AcePCS). Phytochelatin synthase catalyzes the production of metal chelating peptides, the phytochelatins, from glutathione (GSH). In plants, algae, and fungi phytochelatin production is important for metal tolerance and detoxification. Phytochelatin synthase proteins also function in the elimination of xenobiotics by processing GSH S-conjugates. We found that in vitro AcePCS could both synthesize phytochelatins and hydrolyze a GSH S-conjugate. Interestingly, the enzyme works through a thiol-dependent and, notably, metal-independent mechanism for both transpeptidase (phytochelatin synthesis) and peptidase (hydrolysis of GSH S-conjugates) activities. AcePCS mRNAs are expressed in vivo throughout the life cycle of A. ceylanicum. Mature adult male hookworms isolated from the small intestines of their hosts displayed significantly enhanced expression of AcePCS with transcript levels 5-fold greater than other developmental forms. Although the role of AcePCS in A. ceylanicum biology has yet to be fully investigated the results reported here provide encouraging evidence of the potential that this enzyme holds as a target for new chemotherapeutic intervention.

Schmitt and the New World Order: A View from Europe

The paper employs Carl Schmitt’s writings in the area of international law and shows that, if re-interpreted in a new light, they can prove useful for a broader understanding of what type of identity is projected internationally by the EU. In particular, this work indicates how the continuum security-identity has been an important aspect of the process of European integration, as can be seen in the informal and formal developments of the CFSP/ESDP and AFSJ, especially its external dimension. Schmitt's concepts of "nomos" and "large space" may still prove useful to reimagine the role of the EU as a 'transnational security entrepreneur', a fluid space that expands constantly and possesses normative claims. Most of the official image projected by the EU institutions is precisely that of a model of regional integration that should be followed all over the world and the idea of 'threat' coming from outside is central to this representation.

PRO-Teaching – Sharing Ideas to Develop Capabilities

The PRO-Teaching project was first piloted in 2009 at Griffith University, Australia with six academic teachers from the School of Education and Professional Studies and one from the School of lnformation and Communication Technology. This pilot assisted in streamlining the process and documentation, prior to implementation in the then Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology (SEET) Group in 2010. Two years later and more than 125 teachers involved, the Griffith PRO-Teaching project was awarded a university grant in 2012, to support offering PRO-Teaching to all academic teachers across the university wishing to focus on the Griffith principles of teaching to promote excellence in teaching. PRO-Teaching was designed to make use of a developmental form of peer review and observation of teaching with the intent to create a collaborative and supportive relationship for teachers to discuss and share ideas around their teaching practice. Using a sequenced approach, data collection was designed to draw from a range of sources to build evidence of teaching quality that may supplement or contrast the current university's student experience of teaching (SET) questionnaires that are currently the dominant determinant of teaching quality. In this instructional chapter, we have set out to provide you, the reader, with an overview of the PRO-Teaching mechanism, with a step-by-step guide using the very worksheets, templates and checklists employed during its implementation.

The role of organizational learning climate and individual's learning goal orientation in training and development activity participation of R&amp;D organization employees

The study examined the relationships between organizational learning climate and individual's learning goal orientation and employee's participation in training and development activities and whether the relationships differ between informal versus formal training and development activities. Multi-level analyses on survey data from a total of 1,087 employees of 11 R&amp;D organizations showed that learning climate and learning goal orientation were positively related to participation in training and development activities even after organizational training budget was controlled for. Further, organizational learning climate was more closely related to formal training and development activities while individual's learning goal orientation was more closely related to informal training and development activities. The theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future research were discussed.

The Impact of Urban Sprawl on Social Segregation in Beijing and a Limited Role for Spatial Planning

AbstractExploring the links between urban sprawl and social segregation is an important theme in urban research. Although many studies are available, conclusions are still mixed. This paper contributes to our existing understanding of the impact of sprawl on social segregation, looking at the case of Beijing. The results of the analysis show that sprawling development, characterised by scattered gated communities, low‐density luxury villas, informal development and uneven distributions of public services and transport infrastructures in the peri‐urban regions, have increased residential segregation between low‐income and high‐income residents and between local residents and migrants. Planning policies designed to control urban sprawl and encourage a compact city could have a positive role in reducing social segregation. However, the role of spatial planning is limited as there are still other institutional factors influencing social segregation in China's cities, two of the most relevant here being the remaining hukou system and dual land system.

The role of organizational learning climate and individual's learning goal orientation in training and development activity participation of R&amp;D organization employees: Informal vs. formal training and development activities

The study examined the relationships between organizational learning climate and individual's learning goal orientation and employee's participation in training and development activities and whether the relationships differ between informal versus formal training and development activities. Multi-level analyses on survey data from a total of 1,087 employees of 11 R&D organizations showed that learning climate and learning goal orientation were positively related to participation in training and development activities even after organizational training budget was controlled for. Further, organizational learning climate was more closely related to formal training and development activities while individual's learning goal orientation was more closely related to informal training and development activities. The theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future research were discussed.