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This article is about the multidisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP) initiative that was implemented in the summer of 2020- summer of the pivot- at a Canadian post-secondary institution to prepare faculty, staff, and students for remote teaching and learning while navigating pandemic conditions created by COVID-19. The CoP as a case study using Critical Theory as a theoretical framework examines the experiences of a collective group of faculty and staff from different disciplines leading a multidisciplinary university-wide initiative and the implications of the approach for promoting effective pedagogies for teaching and learning remotely. Findings based on feedback from workshop attendees, reflections from the CoP facilitators, and comments forwarded to senior administrators about the impact and the effectiveness of the program indicate positive results. It is recommended that although the CoP initiative was originally conceived as a response to the summer of the pivot, it should become an integral approach to promoting dialogue and innovative strategies to advance equitable practices in higher education by cultivating community networks. The findings serve to continue constructive dialogues and discussions about how universities can transition, pivot, and mobilize innovatively and creatively to prioritize equitable teaching and learning conditions that challenge the status quo. This requires a long-term commitment by higher education institutions to break away from historically normalized practices and invest in innovative ways to identify and meet the needs of various stakeholders.

Scottish teachers interested in working with film frequently find themselves faced with a significant challenge in acquiring the confidence and experience to work with this medium in the classroom. Film education does not yet form any significant part of Scottish teacher training programmes and, as such, incorporating film in a medium-specific manner into curricular teaching can be a challenge. This article explores the perspectives of two secondary school teachers at John Paul Academy in Glasgow, who, with the support of UK-based film education charity Into Film, have begun to explore concrete, long-term ways of integrating film education into the school curriculum.

The genetic platforms of Deinococcus species remain the only systems in which massive ionizing radiation (IR)-induced genome damage can be investigated in vivo at exposures commensurate with cellular survival. We report the whole genome sequence of the extremely IR-resistant rod-shaped bacterium Deinococcus ficus KS 0460 and its phenotypic characterization. Deinococcus ficus KS 0460 has been studied since 1987, first under the name Deinobacter grandis, then Deinococcus grandis. The D. ficus KS 0460 genome consists of a 4.019 Mbp sequence (69.7% GC content and 3894 predicted genes) divided into six genome partitions, five of which are confirmed to be circular. Circularity was determined manually by mate pair linkage. Approximately 76% of the predicted proteins contained identifiable Pfam domains and 72% were assigned to COGs. Of all D. ficus KS 0460 proteins, 79% and 70% had homologues in Deinococcus radiodurans ATCC BAA-816 and Deinococcus geothermalis DSM 11300, respectively. The most striking differences between D. ficus KS 0460 and D. radiodurans BAA-816 identified by the comparison of the KEGG pathways were as follows: (i) D. ficus lacks nine enzymes of purine degradation present in D. radiodurans, and (ii) D. ficus contains eight enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism, including nitrate and nitrite reductases, that D. radiodurans lacks. Moreover, genes previously considered to be important to IR resistance are missing in D. ficus KS 0460, namely, for the Mn-transporter nramp, and proteins DdrF, DdrJ and DdrK, all of which are also missing in Deinococcus deserti. Otherwise, D. ficus KS 0460 exemplifies the Deinococcus lineage.

Sacubitril/valsartan (SV) is currently recommended as a first-line therapy in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) due to its significant clinical and prognostic benefit; however, not all patients respond to therapy and predictors of clinical response to SV remain under-studied. To identify electrocardiographic (ECG) predictors of response to SV therapy in HFrEF patients. A retrospective analysis of a hospital heart failure registry was undertaken. Consecutive HFrEF patients (New York Heart Association class II–III) on maximal-dose SV were studied. Response to SV was defined as ≥10% relative improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 3-months post-maximal-dose therapy. Pre-therapy ECGs were retrospectively analyzed for axes and standard wave and interval durations. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for associations between predictors and therapeutic response. Backward stepwise regression was employed to develop a parsimonious model. P-wave duration (PWD) 100–120 ms, PWD >120 ms, and QTc >460 ms were associated with response to SV on univariate analysis: OR 18.00 (4.45–122.90), 5.00 (1.47–20.42), and 3.10 (1.18–9.22), respectively. The preferred model that included the former two predictors in combination with pre-therapy creatinine, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use, and LVEF was highly selective (area under the ROC curve = 0.868). Prolongation of both PWD and QTc interval on baseline ECG in HFrEF patients is predictive of therapeutic response to maximal-dose SV therapy and may indicate early cardiac remodeling that is highly amenable to reversal. SV can reverse cardiac remodeling in HFrEF patients; however, not all patients respond to therapy. In our retrospective study of 102 consecutive HFrEF patients, response to SV, i.e., 10% relative improvement in LVEF at 3-months post-maximal-dose therapy, was predicted by indicators of early atrial and ventricular remodeling (prolonged PWD and QTc interval) on the baseline ECG and not by indicators of terminal remodeling (PAF, LBBB, and RBBB). AUROC = area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; BBB = bundle branch block; HFrEF = heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; LAS = left atrial size; LBBB = left bundle branch block; LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; LVS = left ventricular size; PAF = permanent atrial fibrillation; PWD = P-wave duration; RBBB = right bundle branch block; SV = sacubitril/valsartan. Created with BioRender.com. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study designA retrospective, propensity score, multivariate analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) between 2008 and 2011.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the relationship between insurance status and rates of surgery for acute spinal fractures with and without spinal cord injury (SCI).Summary of background dataThe decision for surgery in patients with spinal fractures is often based on fracture pattern and stability, associated SCI, and the presence of ligamentous and other associated injuries. It is poorly understood how nonclinical factors, such as insurance status, influence the decision for surgical intervention in patients sustaining spinal trauma.MethodsUsing NTDB admission years 2008 to 2011, we included patients 18 to 64 years old who sustained a fracture of the cervical or thoracolumbar spine. Patients were excluded if they sustained polytrauma (Injury Severity Score ≥27) or a major injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale severity ≥3) to the head, thorax, or abdomen. Our main outcome measure was surgical versus nonsurgical treatment for spinal injury; our main predictor was insurance status. Hierarchical multivariate regression analysis and propensity scores were used to determine the relationship between insurance status and surgical treatment, controlling for other factors. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for rates of surgery.ResultsOur propensity score multivariate analysis demonstrated significantly higher rates of surgery in patients with SCI (OR = 11.76, P

Objective: Obesity is associated with a range of negative psychological conditions that may also affect physiological health. Across two studies, we tested whether a range of psychological measures explain why obesity is prospectively associated with physiological dysregulation, measured via clinical indicators of cardiovascular, immune system, and metabolic function. Method: We used comparable 4-year follow-up representative longitudinal data of U.K. and U.S. older adults (=50 years) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2008/2009-2012/2013; Study 1; n= 6,250) and the Health and Retirement Study (2008/2010-2012/2014; Study 2; n =9,664). A diverse range of psychological measures (e.g., depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, weight stigma, positive affect) were tested as candidate mediators in Studies 1 (n = 14) and 2 (n = 21). Results: Obesity predicted physiological dysregulation at follow-up across both studies. In Study 1, only weight stigma (measured between baseline and follow-up) explained 37% of the association between obesity and physiological dysregulation. In Study 2, only changes in weight stigma from baseline to follow-up (not baseline weight stigma) explained 13% of the effect of obesity on future physiological dysregulation. Mediation by weight stigma in both studies was partially attenuated when changes in body mass index frombaseline to follow-up were controlled for. No other psychological measures explained the association between obesity and physiological dysregulation in either study. Conclusions: The prospective association between obesity and physiological dysregulation was largely not explained by psychological factors. However, experiencing weight stigma is associated with increased weight gain and this process may explain obesity-related declines in physiological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]