Abstract Feedback penetrates many walks of our lives, and its importance in L2 teaching and assessment is well recognised. However, while corrective feedback and writing feedback have been the focus ...of much L2 research and classroom practice, there seems relatively little attention to feedback on spoken interactional skills. Concomitantly, translating research on interactional competence (IC) to classroom practice has been a glacial process. Aiming at supporting teachers in providing assessment feedback and teaching IC in the classroom, this article introduces worked examples of peer interactions as a feedback and learning resource. Adopting a procedure used in conversation analytic (CA) research, the worked examples are designed to guide learners to notice and understand IC features in context, at a less cognitively demanding pace for processing, and promote learners’ active engagement with the feedback or teaching focus. The article concludes with suggestions for teachers to develop similar resources for their local contexts.
Summary
Background
Gut microbiome patterns have been associated with predisposition to eczema potentially through modulation of innate immune signalling.
Objective
We examined gut microbiome ...development in the first year of life in relation to innate immune responses and onset of IgE‐associated eczema over the first 2.5 years in predisposed children due to maternal atopy www.anzctr.org.au, trial ID ACTRN12606000280505.
Methods
Microbial composition and diversity were analysed with barcoded 16S rRNA 454 pyrosequencing in stool samples in pregnancy and at ages 1 week, 1 month and 12 months in infants (n = 10) who developed IgE‐associated eczema and infants who remained free of any allergic symptoms at 2.5 years of age (n = 10). Microbiome data at 1 week and 1 month were analysed in relation to previously assessed immune responses to TLR 2 and 4 ligands at 6 months of age.
Results
The relative abundance of Gram‐positive Ruminococcaceae was lower at 1 week of age in infants developing IgE‐associated eczema, compared with controls (P = 0.0047). At that age, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus was inversely associated with TLR2 induced IL‐6 (−0.567, P = 0.042) and TNF‐α (−0.597, P = 0.032); there was also an inverse association between the abundance of Proteobacteria (comprising Gram‐negative taxa) and TLR4‐induced TNF‐α (rs = −0.629, P = 0.024). This relationship persisted at 1 month, with inverse associations between the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae (within the Proteobacteria phylum) and TLR4‐induced TNF‐α (rs = −0.697, P = 0.038) and Enterobacteriaceae and IL‐6 (rs = −0.709, P = 0.035). Mothers whose infants developed IgE‐associated eczema had lower α‐diversity of Bacteroidetes (P = 0.04) although this was not seen later in their infants. At 1 year, α‐diversity of Actinobacteria was lower in infants with IgE‐associated eczema compared with controls (P = 0.002).
Conclusion and clinical relevance
Our findings suggest that reduced relative abundance of potentially immunomodulatory gut bacteria is associated with exaggerated inflammatory cytokine responses to TLR‐ligands and subsequent development of IgE‐associated eczema.
Ischaemic digital ulcers (DUs) are common in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and are a cause of disease-related morbidity. In an earlier trial, treatment with bosentan, an oral endothelin ...receptor antagonist, reduced the occurrence of new DUs by 48%. The present study (RAPIDS-2, for 'RAndomized, double-blind, Placebo-controlled study with bosentan on healing and prevention of Ischemic Digital ulcers in patients with systemic Sclerosis') was conducted to more fully evaluate the effects of bosentan treatment on DUs associated with SSc.
This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 41 centres in Europe and North America randomised 188 patients with SSc with at least 1 active DU ('cardinal ulcer') to bosentan 62.5 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and 125 mg twice daily thereafter for 20 weeks (n=98) or matching placebo (n=90; total 24 weeks). The two primary end points were the number of new DUs and the time to healing of the cardinal ulcer. Secondary end points included pain, disability and safety.
Over 24 weeks, bosentan treatment was associated with a 30% reduction in the number of new DUs compared with placebo (mean ± standard error: 1.9±0.2 vs 2.7±0.3 new ulcers; p=0.04). This effect was greater in patients who entered the trial with more DUs. There was no difference between treatments in healing rate of the cardinal ulcer or secondary end points of pain and disability. Peripheral oedema and elevated aminotransferases were associated with bosentan treatment.
Bosentan treatment reduced the occurrence of new DUs in patients with SSc but had no effect on DU healing. Bosentan was well tolerated and may be a useful adjunct in the management of patients with SSc with recurrent DUs.
Various bioactive food compounds may confer health and longevity benefits, possibly through altering or preserving the epigenome. While bioactive food compounds are widely being marketed for human ...consumption as 'improving health and longevity' by counteracting harmful effects of poor nutrition and lifestyle, claimed effects are often not adequately documented. Using the honey bee (Apis mellifera) as a model species, we here employed a multi-step screening approach to investigate seven compounds for effects on lifespan and DNA methylation using ELISA and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). A positive longevity effect was detected for valproic acid, isovaleric acid, and cyanocobalamin. For curcumin, we found that lifespan shortening caused by ethanol intake, was restored when curcumin and ethanol were co-administered. Furthermore, we identified region specific DNA methylation changes as a result of ethanol intake. Ethanol specific changes in DNA methylation were fully or partially blocked in honey bees receiving ethanol and curcumin together. Ethanol-affected and curcumin-blocked differentially methylated regions covered genes involved in fertility, temperature regulation and tubulin transport. Our results demonstrate fundamental negative effects of low dose ethanol consumption on lifespan and associated DNA methylation changes and present a proof-of-principle on how longevity and DNA methylation changes can be negated by the bioactive food component curcumin. Our findings provide a fundament for further studies of curcumin in invertebrates.
The vascular endothelium is a critical regulator of vascular function. Diverse stimuli such as proinflammatory cytokines and hemodynamic forces modulate endothelial phenotype and thereby impact on ...the development of vascular disease states. Therefore, identification of the regulatory factors that mediate the effects of these stimuli on endothelial function is of considerable interest. Transcriptional profiling studies identified the Kruppel-like factor (KLF)2 as being inhibited by the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta and induced by laminar shear stress in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Overexpression of KLF2 in umbilical vein endothelial cells robustly induced endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and total enzymatic activity. In addition, KLF2 overexpression potently inhibited the induction of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelial adhesion molecule E-selectin in response to various proinflammatory cytokines. Consistent with these observations, in vitro flow assays demonstrate that T cell attachment and rolling are markedly attenuated in endothelial monolayers transduced with KLF2. Finally, our studies implicate recruitment by KLF2 of the transcriptional coactivator cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CBP/p300) as a unifying mechanism for these various effects. These data implicate KLF2 as a novel regulator of endothelial activation in response to proinflammatory stimuli.
The past decades have seen an increasing interest in developing pathways to produce bio-based chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass and organic waste as renewable resources. Using biomass as a ...source of chemical building blocks is critical to a future sustainable chemical industry. The successful development of bio-chemicals will also have a profound impact in terms of the innovations of new polymers and materials, new solvents, and new bio-active compounds. This article provides a broad review of conventional thermal heating, microwave processing, and biochemical processing for the production of value-added bio-based chemicals. The potentially important but currently little exploited microwave-assisted processes are given particular attention and the microwave-specific, non-thermal effects are explored. The comparative merits of different approaches are evaluated from the techno-economic and environmental perspectives. The opportunities of integrated biorefineries are articulated, with the aim to actualize carbon-efficient valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and organic waste for synthesizing an array of products.
Biochar (BC) is a material synthesized from biomass by thermochemical conversion. Physicochemical and functional properties of BCs can be enhanced by several methods of activation or ...functionalization. The activated and functionalized BCs with a large surface area and abundant surface functional groups can serve as effective catalysts or catalyst supports for various chemical transformations as well as for adsorption/sorption/enrichment of low‐concentration pollutant streams. Among them, remediation of environmental contaminants and production of a range of bioproducts in biorefineries have attracted much attention in the context of achieving green and sustainable development. Although the applications of BC as adsorbents in removal of pollutants have been discussed extensively, there is a lot of untapped potential with new applications of BCs as catalysts or catalyst supports for advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and sustainable biorefineries. In this review, the production and activation/functionalization of BCs are scrutinized. The mechanisms of activated and functionalized BC and BC‐supported catalysts in degradation of organic contaminants via AOPs assisted with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxydisulfate (PDS), and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) are reviewed. Emerging applications of BC as catalyst for production of biodiesel and high‐value chemicals, tar removal, bio‐syngas reforming, and energy storage and conversion devices are discussed in detail.
Biochar from thermochemical conversion of biomass has wide‐spread environmental applications through tailored activation and functionalization. This state‐of‐the‐art review discusses the emerging applications of functionalized biochar and biochar‐supported catalysts in i) contaminant removal via advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) assisted with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxydisulfate (PDS), and peroxymonosulfate (PMS); ii) sustainable biorefinery such as production of biofuels and high‐value chemicals.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is marked by airway inflammation and airspace enlargement (emphysema) leading to airflow obstruction and eventual respiratory failure. Microvasculature ...dysfunction is associated with COPD/emphysema. However, it is not known if abnormal endothelium drives COPD/emphysema pathology and/or if correcting endothelial dysfunction has therapeutic potential. Here, we show the centrality of endothelial cells to the pathogenesis of COPD/emphysema in human tissue and using an elastase-induced murine model of emphysema. Airspace disease showed significant endothelial cell loss, and transcriptional profiling suggested an apoptotic, angiogenic, and inflammatory state. This alveolar destruction was rescued by intravenous delivery of healthy lung endothelial cells. Leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein-1 (LRG1) was a driver of emphysema, and deletion of Lrg1 from endothelial cells rescued vascular rarefaction and alveolar regression. Hence, targeting endothelial cell biology through regenerative methods and/or inhibition of the LRG1 pathway may represent strategies of immense potential for the treatment of COPD/emphysema.
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