by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
We are very fortunate to have Dr Dee Unglaub Silverthorn (Department of Medical Education, Dell Medical School, University of Texas USA) as facilitator for the ‘Teaching workshop’ on Sunday 06 September 2015.Dee’s current educational interest is techniques for teaching and assessing conceptual understanding. She is the author of Silverthorn D.U. (1998 – 2016) Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach. Benjamin Cummings, Publishers. Translations into Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Korean, and Indonesian. The excitement is building and we look forward to many delegates making the journey to be part of this historic workshop. Not to be missed!Examples form her other publications provides useful insights to the nature of the workshop: Matyas M.L. and Silverthorn D.U. (2015, under review) Harnessing the Power of an Online Teaching Community: Connect, Share, and Collaborate. Advan Physiol Edu. Silverthorn, D.U. (2015) To flip or not to flip. PECOP blog, http://blog.lifescitrc.org/pecop/ Silverthorn, D.U. (2009) A String of Pearls – What I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Started Teaching. The Physiologist 52(4): 139-143. (Invited column for Mentoring Forum). Silverthorn D.U. (2006) Teaching and Learning in the Interactive Classroom. Adv Physiol Educ 30(4): 135-140. Silverthorn D.U., Thorn P.M., and Svinicki M.D. (2006) It’s Difficult to Change the Way We Teach: Lessons from the Integrative Themes in Physiology (ITIP) Curriculum Module Project. Adv Physiol Educ 30(4): 204-214. Silverthorn, D. U. (2003) Restoring physiology to the undergraduate curriculum: A call for action. Adv Physiol Educ 27(3): 91-96, Sept. Prof. Saramarie Eagleton (University of...
by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
A recent study published in the Lancet Psychiatry has shown that smoking cigarettes appears to modestly increase an individual’s risk of developing schizophrenia in later life. This study by researchers at King’s College in London analyzed data from 61 observational studies that included 15, 000 smokers and 273, 000 non-smokers. Here 57% of individuals displaying a first episode of psychosis were indeed smokers, three times the rate of the general population. Moreover, for daily smokers the onset of this condition occurred (on average) a year earlier than for non-smokers. Although more research is needed before a definite causal link can be determined, this study suggests that smoking should be taken seriously as a possible risk factor for developing psychosis. Extract of article completed by Dr. Bianca Thomas (University of Johannesburg) Full article can be accessed at:...
by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
A team from the University of North Carolina has been the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of a synthetic glucose-responsive insulin delivery device that responds to a hypoxia trigger. The device, which uses a painless microneedle-array patch, contains glucose-responsive vesicles that are loaded with insulin and glucose oxidase. A local hypoxic microenvironment caused by the enzymatic oxidation of glucose in the hyperglycemic state causes such vesicles to be self-assembled and dissociated, with a resultant release of insulin. This patch effectively regulated blood glucose in a mouse model of clinically-induced Type 1 diabetes. Extract of article completed by Dr. Bianca Thomas (University of Johannesburg) Full article can be accessed at:...
by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
“They’ll have to change the textbooks” was the reaction by Kevin Lee (chairman of the University of Virginia’s Department of Neuroscience) regarding the discovery of the central nervous system’s lymphatic vasculature. The long-held concept of the absence of lymphatic vasculature in the central nervous system was overturned by the team at the University of Virginia’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia. Here they discovered functional lymphatic vessels lining the dural sinuses that express all of the molecular hallmarks of lymphatic endothelial cells, are able to carry both fluid and immune cells from the cerebrospinal fluid, and are connected to the deep cervical nodes. The true significance of this discovery lies in the importance it has for the etiology and treatment of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The findings of the article has already been published online in Nature and will appear in a forthcoming issue. Extract of article completed by Dr. Bianca Thomas (University of Johannesburg) Full article can be accessed at:...
by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
“Metrics should support, not supplant, expert judgement” states Professor James Wilsdon the chair of the Independent Review of the Use of Metrics in Research Assessment & Management. Wilsdon, a professor of Science & Democracy at the University of Sussex in England, argues that too often, poorly designed evaluation criteria have the potential to distort behaviour and ultimately determine careers. Since metrics hold real power where they are constitutive of values, identities and livelihoods, he fears that at their worst it could contribute to what Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury) calls a “new barbarity” in our universities. The common blunt use of metrics such as journal impact factors, h-indices and grant-income targets are classic pitfalls employed in the process of assessing potential candidates for research funds and employment. Wilsdon emphasizes that peer review, while not perfect, is still the best form of academic governance that is available and that it should remain the primary basis by which to assess research papers, proposals and individuals. He urges that universities, funders and publishers harmonize their systems ofdata capture because if metrics are to be reliable, the priority for the community must be the widespread introduction of unique identifiers for individuals and research works. He also states that there is legitimate concern that some “quantitative indicators can be gamed, or lead to unintended consequences”. In an attempt to curtail inappropriate use of metrics there will be a ‘Bad Metric’ prize awarded every year to the most appalling example of inappropriate use of quantitative indicators in research management. Sadly though, he predicts that there will be plenty to choose from..LOL! Extract of article...
by admin | Jul 22, 2015 | Newsletter Archive
Recent scientific evidence reports that there is no substantial relationship between dietary andserum cholesterol, with clinical cardiovascular diseases in the general American population. As there is also growing evidence that refined carbohydrates increase metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases, it is no wonder the newly released Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report has reviewed the notion of the elimination of dietary cholesterol as a “nutrient of concern”. In fact, it is reported that the effects of healthy dietary fats are inversely proportional to that of refined grains and sugars. The DGAC is instrumental in guiding the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which is jointly released (very five years) by the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. For the past few decades the primary rationale for limiting total fat was to lower saturated fat and Dietary cholesterol in order to decrease the proposed link with cardiovascular diseases and obesity risks. However, Mozaffarian and Ludwig argue (JAMA 2015) that this campaign against saturated fat quickly generalized and included all dietary fat resulting in an inevitable lowered intake of unsaturated fats (e.g. nuts, vegetable oils, fish) that are particularly healthy. This also notwithstanding the added adverse effects reported from the consumption of artificial sweeteners and higher refined carbohydrate intake. For example, a recent Gallup poll found that the majority of US residents still actively try to avoid dietary fat while eating far too many refined carbohydrates. Based on the recent scientific evidence and consistent with the new DGAC report, there are now strong recommendations for the restructuring of nutritional policies and the immediate undoing of the ‘’total fat...
