Facilitating implementation of organs-on-chips by open platform technology

Organ-on-chip (OoC) and multi-organs-on-chip (MOoC) systems have the potential to play an important role in drug discovery, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. However, most devices developed in academic labs remain at a proof-of-concept level and do not yet offer the ease-of-use, manufacturability, and throughput that are needed for widespread application. Commercially available OoC are easier to use but often lack the level of complexity of the latest devices in academia. Furthermore, researchers who want to combine different chips into MOoC systems are limited to one supplier, since commercial systems are not compatible with each other. Given these limitations, the implementation of standards in the design and operation of OoCs would strongly facilitate their acceptance by users. Importantly, the implementation of such standards must be carried out by many participants from both industry and academia to ensure a widespread acceptance and adoption. This means that standards must also leave room for proprietary technology development next to promoting interchangeability. An open platform with standardized interfacing and user-friendly operation can fulfill these requirements. In this Perspective article, the concept of an open platform for OoCs is defined from a technical perspective. Moreover, we discuss the importance of involving different stakeholders in the development, manufacturing, and application of such an open platform.     

The presentation of gas properties in chemistry textbooks and as reported by science teachers

The presentation of gas properties in terms of the qualitative–quantitative mode and gas law sequence is examined by means of an analysis of 14 chemistry textbooks used in Australian secondary schools and of questionnaires on teaching approaches completed by 104 secondary science teachers. The findings indicate that current pedagogic practice involves minimal use of the qualitative relationships of the gas laws and moderate use of a simple-to-complex sequence. Given the conceptual complexity of the gas laws, the authors support a presentation approach with increased use of qualitative exercises and, in the initial stage at least, the use of a complex-to-simple model where the interrelationships among the gas laws are easier to establish.     

A midwifery model of care for childbearing women at high risk: genuine caring in caring for the genuine

According to this paper's synthesis of research, three constituents of ideal midwifery care emerge. First, a dignity-protective action takes place in a midwife's caring relationship with a childbearing woman at high risk and includes mutuality, trust, ongoing dialogue, enduring presence, and shared responsibility. Secondly, the midwife's embodied knowledge is based on genuineness to oneself and consists of theoretical, practical, intuitive, and reflective knowledge. Finally, nurse-midwives have a special responsibility to balance the natural and medical perspectives in the care of childbearing women at high risk, especially by promoting the woman's inborn capacity to be a mother and to give birth in a natural manner. This midwifery model of care is labeled "Genuine Caring in Caring for the Genuine." Here, the word genuine expresses the nature of midwifery care, as well as the nature of each pregnant woman being cared for as a unique individual.     

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE ‐ A FEASIBILITY STUDY

CEPES is in charge of the feasibility study on The University of the Peoples of Europe. This note gives an outline of what has been done until now and what further plans are. ECTS ‐ European Community Course Transfer System ‐ is conceived to ease academic mobility and recognition by providing a common credit system. 84 institutions of higher education or consortia participate during the pilot phase 1989/90‐1994/95.     

Rapid microfluidic solid-phase extraction system for hyper-methylated DNA enrichment and epigenetic analysis

Genetic sequence and hyper-methylation profile information from the promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes are important for cancer disease investigation. Since hyper-methylated DNA (hm-DNA) is typically present in ultra-low concentrations in biological samples, such as stool, urine, and saliva, sample enrichment and amplification is typically required before detection. We present a rapid microfluidic solid phase extraction (μSPE) system for the capture and elution of low concentrations of hm-DNA (≤1 ng ml⁻¹), based on a protein-DNA capture surface, into small volumes using a passive microfluidic lab-on-a-chip platform. All assay steps have been qualitatively characterized using a real-time surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor, and quantitatively characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy. The hm-DNA capture/elution process requires less than 5 min with an efficiency of 71% using a 25 μl elution volume and 92% efficiency using a 100 μl elution volume.     

花腰傣花街节文化的保护与发展——基于节日“申遗”的视角

节日文化遗产在当今社会政治、经济、文化和教育等方面的功能和价值日益突出,其可持续发展和合理化保护尤显重要。花腰傣花街节文化的保护与发展应该遵循文化生态原则,呼唤本民族的文化自觉,发挥专家学者的指导作用。     

ACADEMY RESEARCH INSTITUTES AND UNIVERSITIES

Up until now, CEPES, the UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education, was more concerned about universities than about the academies of sciences in the countries making up the region it serves, even though both types of institutions do research. Although university teaching was traditionally linked to research as in the Humboldtian model of the university, the two functions became increasingly separate in eastern Europe. Now, as eastern and central Europe undergo transition to democracy and market economies, it is perhaps time to consider a redefinition and possibly a fusion of roles with academies and universities co‐operating closely for excellence in teaching and in research.     

Self Organising Wayfinding Support for Lifelong Learners

Lifelong learning puts learner self-direction centre-stage. However, increased responsibility should not come at the price of over-burdening or abandonment of learners as they progress along their learning journey. This paper introduces an approach to wayfinding support for lifelong learners based on self-organisation theory. It describes an architecture which supports the recording, processing and presentation of collective learner behaviour designed to create a feedback loop informing learners of successful paths towards the attainment of learning goals. The approach is presented as an alternative to methods of achieving adaptation in hypermedia-based learning environments which involve learner modelling. The article concludes with a discussion of the questions being addressed in our ongoing research.